![]() Galileo’s observations overthrew the standard model of the universe which dated back to Aristotle, some 1,500 years earlier, confirming the theories of Copernicus a century before. His intellectual honesty provided a breakthrough in our understanding, even if he was unable to confirm it in anything further than a muttered aside. In doing so, we are gifted a snapshot of a man who would follow his science to wherever it led, even if the conclusions could be a threat to himself. So, did the great man say these words and in doing so defy his faith, embracing the observable facts of the universe even when they went against the word of God? Even if he did not, he was certainly prepared to report what he saw, even when it defied religious orthodoxy. These were observable facts and were under attack by the Church, who preferred the preserve their authority rather than welcome a new understanding of the world. Favaro had received a letter from a man named Jules Van Belle of Belgium, who owned a painting depicting the Earth revolving around the sun, dated from circa 1643.Īfter completing his research for the book, Livio said that even if Galileo didn’t say these words, it was definitely reflective of what he believed. Livio decided to follow-up on Favaro’s work, a century later. In the year 1911, Favaro published several articles summarizing his collective efforts in order to determine the origin of this famous phrase, “And yet it moves.” ![]() In conducting his research Livio had reviewed the work of Antonia Favaro, a historian of science and expert on the life and work of Galileo. It was written around 100 years after the death of Galileo. Outrageous Astronomy – Who Was Behind The Great Moon Hoax of 1835?Īs per Livio, the first mention of this phrase in text was in the form of a single paragraph, within the print in the year 1757 named the Italian Library, authored by Giuseppe Baretti.This was authored by Vincenzo Viviana, his protégé, from the year 1655 to 1656, and had no mention of this phrase. Looking back to the earliest evidence, he turned to the first biography of Galileo. The Church could not let such a statement stand, and Galileo was put on trial under suspicion of heresy. This was a dangerous statement to make, as it offered scientific evidence that the Church, and through them the supposed word of God, was wrong. As a result of his astronomical experiments and observations, he had concluded that Earth is not standing still, but instead revolves around the sun, much like all of the other planets in the solar system. Galileo was very much convinced that the notion of the Earth being static was false, and he wanted to prove the same. But, in challenging the accepted religious dogma that the Earth was at the center of the universe, it also created conflict with the Church. Galileo’s astronomical observations had led to an entirely new understanding of the heavens and the movement of the planets. This phrase, supposedly muttered as he left the room where he was undergoing interrogation by the Catholic Inquisition, tells us much about the Catholic Church, and the man whom they were questioning. “And yet it moves.” It is among the most famous phrases said by the famous Italian scientist Galileo Galilei.
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