Question

Imagine that you are Galileo at the end of his life, writing a letter to a long-lost friend. You have many things to share, as you haven’t seen your friend in decades. Write your letter below in complete sentences. Include the answers to the following questions in your response:

a) What year is it?
b) Where are you?
c) What is your life like right now?
d) What is a description of your solar system model?
e) What is the evidence for your model?
f) Has this model ever been published before? When and by whom?
g) How does your model differ from the accepted model?
h) How has your model been received by other people

Answer 1

March 15, 1641

Cardinal Maffeo Barberini,

I long awaited for my words to reach you. I sit here in my study, writing to you from Pisa. First I must ask how you are, how everything is. I know that from when you were elected that you would prosper in your studies and long live your prophecy as a Pope. Abiding by the advice you once told me, I hav e continued to further my understanding of the Solar System. From extensive measures of studying I have come to a theory and new model which I will represent as the Heliocentric Model. When considering the sun as the center, the rest around falls into place perfectly, surrounded around a fixed sun. Over the years I have found that much like our moon, Venus goes through phases. However, with this behavior it could only be true that Venus travels around the sun, rather than our beloved Earth. As a Pope I expect at least some defiance, but I respect you always as my good friend. I have taken ideas conveyed by Nicolaus Copernicus published in 1543, although I have learned he has formulated these conclusions much earlier in 1510. Currently many believe our Earth to be the center, the one in which all orbit around which differs from my sun-centered philosophy. Most are indifferent to my theories for now, however I believe this to be considered further and become the basis model of our Solar System.

-Galileo