Born on January 7
Galileo Spots Jupiter's Moons
Look up: there's always more to find.
Next: January 7, 2027
Where it comes from
This Story marks the anniversary of 7 January 1610, when the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei turned his improved, 20-power homemade telescope on Jupiter and saw three small points of light beside it.
How it's celebrated
There is no formal observance, but on a clear night even a pair of steady binoculars can show Jupiter's four largest moons as tiny dots in a line, just as Galileo saw them. Sketch where they sit, look again the next night and watch them move.
Did you know
Galileo named the moons the 'Medicean Stars' after his patrons, the Medici, but in his own notes he simply numbered them I to IV.
Read the full story of Galileo Spots Jupiter's Moons
Star sign
Capricorn · December 22 – January 19 · Earth sign
Patient and ambitious, climbing steadily to the top.