OTD In Space – July 30: Galileo Sees Saturn's Rings For The First Time
On July 30, 1610, the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei became the first to observe rings around the planet Saturn.
Shortly after the telescope was invented in 1608, Galileo peered out into the solar system and saw the amazing ring system. At first he didn't actually think they were rings. Instead, he thought Saturn might have planetary "love handles" that gave it a weird shape. He also wondered if perhaps he was looking at two very large moons on either side of the planet. It wasn't until 1659 that another astronomer named Christiaan Huygens figured out that these weird features were actually rings.
Shortly after the telescope was invented in 1608, Galileo peered out into the solar system and saw the amazing ring system. At first he didn't actually think they were rings. Instead, he thought Saturn might have planetary "love handles" that gave it a weird shape. He also wondered if perhaps he was looking at two very large moons on either side of the planet. It wasn't until 1659 that another astronomer named Christiaan Huygens figured out that these weird features were actually rings.
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TechTranscript
00:00On this day in space.
00:03In 1610, the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei became the first to observe rings around the planet Saturn.
00:09Shortly after the telescope was invented in 1608, Galileo peered out into the solar system and saw the amazing ring system.
00:16At first, he didn't actually think they were rings.
00:19Instead, he thought Saturn might have planetary love handles that gave it a weird shape.
00:23He also wondered if perhaps he was looking at two very large moons on either side of the planet.
00:28It wasn't until 1659 that another astronomer named Christiaan Huygens figured out that these weird features were actually rings.
00:35And that's what happened on this day in space.