Discarded Worlds: Astronomical ideas that were almost correct…

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• Br. Guy Consolmagno, Director of the Vatican Observatory
• Tuesday 19 November 2024, 16:00-17:00
• Hoyle Lecture Theatre, IoA .

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Astronomy is more than just observing; it’s making sense of those observations. A good theorist needs to blend a knowledge of what’s been observed, with a good imagination… and no fear of being wrong. Ptolemy in ancient Rome, the medieval bishops Oresme and Cusa, the 19th century astronomers Schiaparelli and Pickering, all rose to the challenge; and they were all almost correct. Which is to say, they were wrong… sometimes hilariously, sometimes heartbreakingly so. What lessons can 21st century astronomers take from these discarded images of the universe?

This talk is part of the Institute of Astronomy Extra Talks series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Cambridge Astronomy Talks
• Combined External Astrophysics Talks DAMTP
• Cosmology, Astrophysics and General Relativity
• Hoyle Lecture Theatre, IoA
• Institute of Astronomy Extra Talks
• Institute of Astronomy Talk Lists

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