[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 4, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3092-H3094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMEMORATING 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST USE OF THE TELESCOPE
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1269) commemorating the 400th anniversary of the
first use of the telescope for astronomical observation by the Italian
scientist Galileo Galilei.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1269
Whereas 2009 is the 400th anniversary of the first use of
the improved telescope capable of astronomical observations
by its developer, the Italian Renaissance scientist Galileo
Galilei;
Whereas Galileo, born in Pisa, Italy, in 1564, was educated
at the University of Pisa where he became Professor of
Mathematics;
Whereas he attained life tenure as Chair of Mathematics at
University of Padua;
Whereas Galileo was appointed Chief Philosopher and
Mathematician to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de' Medici
II, his patron;
Whereas Galileo had an integral role in the Scientific
Revolution of the 17th Century due to his major contributions
as a physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher;
Whereas Galileo is universally regarded as the ``Father of
Modern Astronomy'', ``Father of Modern Physics'', and
``Father of Modern Science'';
Whereas his experiments on the laws of motion, falling
bodies, and the parabolic paths of projectiles and his
observations of astronomical bodies were scientific advances;
Whereas his inventions, the enhanced telescope; hydrostatic
balance; geometric and military compass; thermoscope
(thermometer); perfected compound microscope;
[[Page H3093]]
pulsilogium (pulsiometer), enabled practical applications in
the fields of military and civil engineering, navigation,
medicine, and astronomy;
Whereas his newly designed instruments of measurement,
coupled with his theory that the natural world was written in
the language of mathematics, laid the groundwork for modern
scientific method and research;
Whereas Galileo's use of his telescope, the central
instrument of the Scientific Revolution, enabled his
discovery of certain features of the surface of the moon, the
moons of Jupiter, the phases and motion of Venus, and
sunspots;
Whereas these findings confirmed that the Copernican Sun
Centered Solar System was plausible;
Whereas this changed human understanding of the cosmos;
Whereas Galileo published his theories and findings in
several treatises, letters, and books, most importantly,
Siderius Nuncius and the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief
World Systems;
Whereas Galileo's body of work enabled subsequent
generations, in particular in the United States, to build on
the tradition of scientific research, to be in the forefront
of new scientific endeavors, specifically in medicine,
technology, and space exploration, resulting in the
betterment of mankind;
Whereas the United States of America has previously honored
the scientist through naming a research aircraft,
``Galileo'', commissioned for the Eclipse Expedition in 1965,
and naming one of its major interplanetary missions, the
Galileo Expedition to Jupiter, launched in 1989 and ending
its 14-year odyssey in 2003;
Whereas America also has built on the legacy of Galileo
with NASA's most successful long-term science mission, the
launch in 1990 of the Hubble Space Telescope, which
contributes to our understanding of the universe;
Whereas as part of NASA's tribute to Galileo, a replica of
Galileo's telescope, provided by the Istituto e Museo di
Storia della Scienza, Florence, Italy, was carried into space
by Italian American astronaut, Michael Massimino, on the May
2009 Atlantis mission to repair and update the orbiting
Hubble telescope;
Whereas 2009 also marks the 40th anniversary of the moon
landing by the Apollo 11 astronauts, which gave mankind first
hand knowledge of the moon's surface, first observed in
detail when Galileo turned his telescope to the sky in 1609;
Whereas the United Nations ``The International Year of
Astronomy 2009'' is a global effort with over 140 countries
participating, initiated by the International Astronomical
Union (IAU) and UNESCO, at the request of Italy, Galileo's
native country; and
Whereas organizations, educational institutions, government
entities, most notably in Italy, Istituto e Museo di Storia
della Scienza and in the United States, NASA, Smithsonian
Institution, Franklin Institute in Philiadelphia, Italian
Embassy and Italian Consulates, National Italian American
Foundation and Italian Heritage and Culture Committee of New
York, Inc., are celebrating the genius of Galileo Galilei and
``The International Year of Astronomy 2009'' with numerous
public programs, publications, symposia, proclamation
ceremonies, and tributes to Galileo and his legacy: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Congress of the United States of America
commemorates the 400th anniversary of the first use of the
telescope by Galileo Galilei for astronomical observation and
marks this discovery as one of the major events impacting
mankind, and expresses its gratitude for Galileo's expansion
of the universe and mankind's understanding of his place in
the cosmos, and that the Congress of the United States of
America joins the world in celebration of ``The International
Year of Astronomy''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Ohio (Ms. Fudge) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio.
General Leave
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H. Res. 1269, the resolution now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1269, a resolution
commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first use of the telescope
for astronomical observation by the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei.
I want to congratulate the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi) for
introducing this important resolution recognizing the work of a true
Renaissance man, Galileo.
Galileo is known as the ``father of science.'' His numerous
contributions in the areas of astronomy, mathematics, and physics laid
the foundation for modern science. In fact, Galileo was the first
scientist to apply the use of mathematics to the study of motion. In
1609, within months of learning about the telescope, Galileo
constructed his own more powerful version and began observing the night
sky.
With his telescope Galileo discovered sunspots, examined the surface
of the moon, observed a supernova, and disproved the prevailing theory
that the Earth was the center of the universe, instead observing that
the Earth revolved around the Sun.
Galileo's life and his many contributions to science have made his
name synonymous with discovery. I want to once again commend Mr. Tiberi
and his cosponsors for introducing this resolution and urge my
colleagues to join me in recognizing the important astronomical
observations made by Galileo by voting in support of House Resolution
1269.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1269, commemorating
the 400th anniversary of the first use of the telescope by Galileo
Galilei to peer into heavens.
Galileo's brilliant refinements of existing telescope designs allowed
humans for the first time to discern the Earth's closest neighbors to a
level of detail that was breathtaking, such as valleys of the Moon,
fellow planets in our solar system, and the moons of Jupiter.
Most importantly, unlike his peers who trained their telescopes to
look across the Earth's terrain, Galileo instead aimed his telescopes
to look out into the heavens.
Four hundred years later, who could have imagined the transformations
unleashed by Galileo and his search of the night skies, both in terms
of designs and capabilities of follow-on telescopes, as well as
informing Earth's inhabitants of their genesis and their place in the
universe.
Today, ground-based telescopes sitting high atop mountain peaks are
collecting immense amounts of data, enabling astronomers to discover
new details about our solar system, our galaxy, and our universe. Just
as important, their findings raise new questions, leading to follow-on
research campaigns all across the globe.
Space-based telescopes, which have only been launched in the last
several decades, have been equally spectacular. Virtually every citizen
on Earth has seen pictures produced by the Hubble, Chandra, Compton,
and Spitzer space telescopes. And the future of space-based and ground-
based astronomy promises to be just as exciting. To cite one example,
NASA is hard at work completing construction of the James Webb space
telescope, scheduled to be launched in 2014. It is designed to look at
the infrared spectrum and will have a mirror that's 21 feet across, far
larger than the mirror on Hubble. The potential discoveries that await
are unknown.
For men and women all across the globe, probably no field of science
is more captivating and more exciting than astronomy. Galileo and his
early telescopes provided the foundation, and this resolution rightly
acknowledges his genius.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in favor of H. Res. 1269,
commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first use of the telescope
for astronomical observation by the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei.
Galileo, born in Pisa, Italy, in 1564, was educated at the University
of Pisa where he became Professor of Mathematics; he later attained
life tenure as Chair of Mathematics at University of Padua. Galileo was
appointed Chief Philosopher and Mathematician to the Grand Duke of
Tuscany, Cosimo de' Medici II, his patron and had an integral role in
the Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century due to his major
contributions as a physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and
philosopher.
Galileo Galilei is universally regarded as the `Father of Modern
Astronomy', `Father of Modern Physics', and 'Father of Modern Science'
due to all the advances he made in those fields. His experiments on the
laws of motion, falling bodies, and the parabolic paths of projectiles
and his observations of astronomical bodies were massive scientific
advances. His
[[Page H3094]]
inventions, the enhanced telescope; hydrostatic balance; geometric and
military compass; thermoscope (thermometer); perfected compound
microscope; pulsilogium (pulsiometer), enabled practical applications
in the fields of military and civil engineering, navigation, medicine,
and astronomy.
His newly designed instruments of measurement, coupled with his
theory that the natural world was written in the language of
mathematics, laid the groundwork for modern scientific method and
research; Galileo's use of his telescope, the central instrument of the
Scientific Revolution, enabled his discovery of certain features of the
surface of the moon, the moons of Jupiter, the phases and motion of
Venus, and sunspots. These findings confirmed that the Copernican Sun
Centered Solar System was plausible and changed human understanding of
the cosmos.
Galileo published his theories and findings in several treatises,
letters, and books, most importantly, Siderius Nuncius and the Dialogue
Concerning the Two Chief World Systems. Galileo's body of work enabled
subsequent generations, in particular in the United States, to build on
the tradition of scientific research, to be in the forefront of new
scientific endeavors, specifically in medicine, technology, and space
exploration, resulting in the betterment of mankind. The United States
of America has previously honored the scientist through naming a
research aircraft, `Galileo', commissioned for the Eclipse Expedition
in 1965, and naming one of its major interplanetary missions, the
Galileo Expedition to Jupiter, launched in 1989 and ending its 14-year
odyssey in 2003.
America also has built on the legacy of Galileo with NASA's most
successful long-term science mission, the launch in 1990 of the Hubble
Space Telescope, which contributes to our understanding of the
universe; as part of NASA's tribute to Galileo, a replica of Galileo's
telescope, provided by the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza,
Florence, Italy, was carried into space by Italian American astronaut,
Michael Massimino, on the May 2009 Atlantis mission to repair and
update the orbiting Hubble telescope.
As the Co-Chair of the Italian American Congressional Caucus I am
able to reinforce the deep and binding ties between the United States
and Italy. I work to promote the strong relationship between our two
nations and honor our shared heritage. I am proud to commemorate this
anniversary and express my gratitude for Galileo's expansion of the
universe through his use of the telescope and mankind's understanding
of his place in the cosmos. The contributions of scientist like Galileo
make the United States the great nation that it is today. His legacy is
our shared American history.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H. Res. 1269, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) that the House suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1269.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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