For me this was one of the big highlights of my visit to Florence Italy. I am a big fan of Galileo, mainly because I am a big fan of astronomy and telescopes.

And I feel a strong affinity for Galileo because he had an affectation for how the universe works, and for making these wonderful machines and instruments to observe it all, measure it all, and admire it all.

Here is the exterior of the musuem.

And here in the museum is a bust of Galileo.

Here are the actual telescopes that Galileo used to make his observations. And the big white medallion holds the objective lens from one of the telescopes. It is cracked. These are from 1609-1610.

Next picture: Siderius Nuncius (Starry Messenger)
Galileo Galilei Padua 1610

This book is quite famous and it is the first book that Galileo published based on his astronomical observations.

Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo by Galileo Galilei Firenze 1632
"Dialogue on the two greatest systems of the world"

Armillary Sphere

Various sun dials.

This next image shows an optical toy in the museum. It is from 1642 but it wasn't made by Galileo. It is an anomorphic instrument. There was a tube on the pedestal that had a polyhedral lens in it. Looking through it made a new and complete image from the image seen. (The missing optical tube lasted for 500 years but was lost in a flood in the 1960's)

The official noame for this kind of technique is "Anamorphosis" and the first recorded Renaissance period example of it was by Leonardo DaVinci.

Here is another anamorphic optical illusion. Look in the mirrored cylinder to see the altered reflection of what's on the paper.

My visit to the Galileo museum was something very special for me. I have been an amateur astronomer my whole life. I love telescopes and the night sky. Seeing one of the very first telescopes ever made was an event.

I love astronomy and star gazing so much that I have written a book devoted to it. If you want to experience more of the night sky check it out here. It is available on Amazon.

See It with a Small Telescope: 101 Cosmic Wonders Including Planets, Moons, Comets, Galaxies, Nebulae, Star Clusters and More - Available in paperback and kindle on Amazon right here

It took me a whole year to write this book and it was a labor of love. I have always been in love with the night sky and with telescopes; since I was a kid. I am very proud of this book.