Galileo Chapter Summary

Galileo was fundamental in the origin of lunar study in being the first to use a telescope to observe the moon and publicize opinions about its surface. Another surveyor of the moon was Alfred Wegener. Wegener proposed meteoric impact long before anyone else. However, the scientific community did not listen to him because of his theory of plate tectonics and Pangea. Alfred Wegener found the correct origin of the moon and its surface features. He stated that the moon and its craters came from some form of impact and that plate tectonics shifted and created the world we have today. Two men with the same findings as Wegener were Ralph Baldwin and Robert Dietz. Dietz found that when he rotated the ejecta to their original position, they all pointed

The most evident was the testing of hypothesis’ to the fullest extent. For instance, the Alvarez’s theory was doubted and then tested to the fullest extent possible. Even though it was tested to be proven wrong they still called for the scientific method to be followed. However, on the contrary, Gilbert’s assumption of volcanic origin derailed the entire lunar study for sixty years. Since the scientific method wasn’t followed through completely the outcome was catastrophic to the study. Another fact that was evident throughout this chapter was the importance of varying and constant testing. An example of this being Gilbert’s crater. The volume test and ejecta test along with circular shape derailed the study because they caused him to assume volcanism was the origin. However, in later years he discovered that if an object were to hit the earth from a close to ninety-degree angle then it would create a circular imprint. And even though science is science is the process of discovering new information it was somewhat resistant to change and unforgiving to those without stature. Science wouldn’t accept or test Wegener’s theories because they were ahead of the time. Since they ignore his ideas they discarded any option of pursuing the lunar study at that time. When they accepted Gilbert’s claims they accepted the stalling of