Letter to the Editor of Sky and Telescope Concerning Galileo's Observations of Mizar

Abstract

Work published in Sky and Telescope in 2004 discusses Galileo's observations of the star Mizar. These observations raise questions regarding Galileo's assumptions about the universe and the conclusions he drew from his observations. Galileo would have expected Mizar to reveal annual parallax and thus provide evidence of Earth's motion, but Mizar shows no such parallax.