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How did Johannes Kepler respond to Galileo's telescopic discoveries?
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Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler, engraving by N. Dietz.
When Galileo Galilei published his telescopic findings in Sidereus Nuncius (1610), Johannes Kepler responded with strong support, becoming one of the few contemporaries to place complete faith in Galileo's assertions.1
Keplerās response consisted of three significant treatises:
- Dissertatio cum Nuncio Sidereo (1610): In this "Conversation with the Sidereal Messenger," Kepler discussed the implications of the newly discovered Jovian moons and speculated on their orbital distances.1
- Dioptrice (1611): A theoretical work on the optics of the telescope, which included a description of a new design using two convex lenses, now known as the Keplerian telescope.1
- Narratio de Jovis Satellitibus (1611): A publication based on Keplerās own independent observations of Jupiter and its satellites.1
Galileo acknowledged this support, writing to Kepler: "I thank you because you were the first one, and practically the only one, to have complete faith in my assertions."1