Galileo for Kids: His Life and Ideas, 25 Activities

Galileo for Kids: His Life and Ideas, 25 Activities — page 1
FOREWORD By Buzz Aldrin HEN GALILEO first turned his newly invented telescope toward the heavens he saw the vast ness of the universe He discovered distant stars mountains on the moon and spots on the sun His work extended our knowledge of astronomy by leaps and bounds Galileo's belief that the earth revolved around the sun was controversial at the time but his stubborn insistence on the truth laid the foundation for the modern science of astronomy When Neil Armstrong and I set foot on the moon in 1969 it was truly a triumph of science The revo lution started by Galileo had entered a wonderful new phase Instead of simply gazing into space we were now traveling there Instead of looking at moon rocks we were touching them I have always believed that space exploration holds great potential The exploration of space will not only help us understand the science of how the universe works but it will also help us understand our own planet and our selves Galileo was a genius whose curiosity was his guid ing passion We should all be inspired by his thirst