The Year of Astronomy

This has been proclaimed the International Year of Astronomy, and tonite at 7 PM you can attend the Kansas City School District's free public show at it's planetarium at 6512 Wornall Rd. And at 10 AM Saturday the family astronomy series continues. 400 years ago Galileo, shown here, built his first telescope, and from his observations he became convinced of the truth of the theory espoused by Copernicus that all planets, including the earth, rrevolve around the sun. This belief was contrary to the generally accepted theory of Ptolemy that the sun and all the planets revolve around the earth . His view being considered contrary to the literal meaning of the scripture, Galileo was forced to spend the last years of his life under house arrest on orders of a Roman Inquisition.