Italy 2014 450th Anniversary of the birth of Galileo Galilei (born in 1564)
450th Anniversary of the birth of Galileo Galilei (born in 1564)
Not
every astronomer can claim to have enjoyed both the attention of the Inquisition and the Indigo Girls, but then
again, Galileo was no ordinary genius. Discoverer of moons, toppler of
Aristotle's physics, and celebrated loser of history's most famous heresy
trial, Galileo Galilei's greatest invention, in truth, was our own modern
world.
On
the 450th anniversary of his birth today, February 15, 2014, it's worth taking
a telescopic look at the achievements of this unparalleled genius of the
Renaissance. Born in 1564 in Pisa, Italy, Galileo lived to the age of 77,
a life span that saw the start of the scientific revolution in Europe. (See
also: "Galileo's Telescope at 400.")
Galileo is still in the news. An optical illusion he
discovered in the 1600s caused Venus to appear much larger and blurrier—a
"radiant crown," as Galileo called it—when seen through a telescope
than when viewed with the naked eye.
The design shows the head of Galileo Galilei from the painting of Justus Sustermans, 1636 (Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi); around, upside, GALILEO GALILEI; on the right, superimposed letters R (monogram of the Mint of Rome)/astronomic telescope/C.M. (monogram of the Author Claudia Momoni); on the left, superimposed letters of the Italian Republic monogram ‘RI’; in exergue 1564-2014. The coin’s outer ring bears the 12 stars of the European Union.
Weight - 8.5 g.
Quality - UNC (Uncirculated)
Diameter - 25.75 mm.
Composition - Bimetallic - nickel brass clad
nickel center in copper-nickel ring
Circulation - 6'500'000 pcs.
Country of origin - Italy
Year of release - 2014
