What specific lunar feature did Galileo examine to deduce the presence of mountains?
Answer
The terminator
The breakthrough involved observing how light interacted near the terminator, where low-angle light projected rugged, elongated shadows from elevated features.
Related Questions
What specific lunar feature did Galileo examine to deduce the presence of mountains?In which publication did Galileo first announce his findings about the Moon's topography in 1610?According to the prevailing ancient cosmological model influenced by Aristotle, what substance were celestial bodies believed to be made of?Who is credited with the invention of the telescope, as opposed to Galileo's refinement of the instrument?How did Galileo deduce the existence of mountains on the Moon using observations near the terminator?What field of study foundational to the scientific study of the Moon's surface was initiated by Galileo's lunar observations?Around what period did Galileo definitively view and document the surface features of the Moon?Why did ancient observers often fail to perceive the Moon's topographical irregularities when it was viewed fully illuminated?Which concurrent telescopic observation provided crucial observational support for the Copernican system?Compared to charting the positions of Jupiter's moons, how is resolving lunar topography described in terms of achievement?