On Sunspots

Galilei Galileo, Scheiner Christoph

Galileo's telescopic discoveries, and especially his observation of sunspots, caused great debate in an age when the heavens were thought to be perfect and unchanging. Christoph Scheiner, a Jesuit mathematician, argued that sunspots were planets or moons crossing in front of the Sun. Galileo, on the other hand, countered that the spots were on or near the surface of the Sun itself, and he supported his position with a series of meticulous observations and mathematical demonstrations that eventually convinced even his rival.

On "Sunspots" collects the correspondence that constituted the public debate, including the first English translation of Scheiner's two tracts as well as Galileo's three letters, which have previously appeared only in abridged form. In addition, Albert Van Helden and Eileen Reeves have supplemented the correspondence with lengthy introductions, extensive notes, and a bibliography. The result will become the standard work on the subject, essential for students and historians of astronomy, the telescope, and early modern Catholicism.

About the Author

Eileen Reeves is professor of comparative literature at Princeton University.

Albert Van Helden is professor of the history of science at the University of Utrecht and the translator of "Galileo's Sidereus Nuncius", also published by the University of Chicago Press.

Reviews

"This translation is both timely and commendable. Until now, English-speaking students of Galileo and Scheiner have been poorly served. For the first time, readers have access to both sides of this important debate in the same language. This will be an essential text" – Nick Wilding, Georgia State University

"This is an excellent addition to the literature on Galileo and, more generally, on the Copernican Revolution. It makes available important works that are relatively inaccessible in their original edition and have never been fully translated into English" – Maurice Finocchiaro, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

"[This volume] will be essential to historians interested in the development and use of the telescope and in religion of that period. Highly recommended" – Choice

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