Webso when galileo, then 45 years old, turned his telescope to the heavens in the fall of 1609, it was a small act of dissent. Webthe story of galileo's telescopic observations illustrates how a tool for seeing and collecting evidence can dramatically change our understanding of the cosmos. Astronomy was a core pursuit for observatories, but usually. Astronomy was a core pursuit for observatories, but usual. Web“the heavens on earth raises the bar for the historiography of astronomy and observatory techniques. The collection stands out from the existing literature in its. Webhis observations of how a comet moved among the stars in 1577 proved that comets moved about freely through the realm of the planets, a discovery that shattered. Astronomy was a core pursuit for observatories, but usually not the only one. Webthe heavens on earth : Webhow many galaxies are in the universe? What can we learn from starlight? Do black holes really exist? How will the universe end?