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To: rsobin
Didn’t the the “the leader of catholicism” ...,jail people for suggesting the earth is not the center of the universe...?"

This one I know. The answer is "No."

Galileo was honored more than once by the Vatican. he was free to explore a heliocentric hypothesis.

However, a logical consequence of the heliocentric hypothesis is parallax. That is the position of a planet, for example, compared to the position of the "fixed stars" behind it, should be different, all other things being equal, in June from what it would be in December.

And this consequence has been verified, after the development of instruments subtle enough to measure it.

BUT in the time of Galileo there was no measurable difference. So Galileo was told he could not say his theory was definitely true. He was welcome to explore it and to publish his explorations. He just couldn't say it was true because there was no proof.

he not only was allowed to 'suggest' that the earth was not the center of the universe, he received public Vatican honors for the suggestion.

77 posted on 01/02/2012 4:14:33 PM PST by Mad Dawg (Jesus, I trust in you.)
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To: Mad Dawg

ooops.


79 posted on 01/02/2012 4:15:35 PM PST by Mad Dawg (Jesus, I trust in you.)
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