Galileo Galilei, Astronomer and Exoplanet - Potsdam, Germany
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Bernd das Brot Team
N 52° 22.513 E 013° 07.757
33U E 372656 N 5804419
A mural showing Galileo Galilei. An exoplanet is named after the famous astronomer.
Waymark Code: WMTH42
Location: Brandenburg, Germany
Date Posted: 11/24/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member saopaulo1
Views: 3

A mural in Potsdam, Germany shows a picture of famous astronomer Galileo_Galilei.

Galileo is considered "father of observational astronomy". He played a major role in the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century and in the acceptance of the heliocentric model of our solar system.

Considering Galileo's impact on modern astronomy, it is somewhat surprising, that - except for a rather insignificant lunar crater - no celestial object or feature has been named after the great astronomer. In 2014, the Royal Netherlands Association for Meteorology and Astronomy of the Netherlands righted this wrong, nominating Galileo's name for 55 Cancri b, the fourth exoplanet discovered.

The planet is a Hot Jupiter; one of at least five planets orbiting 55 Cancria, a binary star in the constellation Cancer; approximately 41 light-years away from the Sun.

In 2014, the International Astronomical Union defined standards for the naming of exoplanets. As of November 2016, 31 planets orbiting stars other than the sun have been given proper names.

Website of the Extraterrestrial Location: [Web Link]

Website of location on Earth: [Web Link]

Celestial Body: Exoplanet

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