Becoming Inhabitants of the Sky: Celestial Journeys from Galileo to the 19th Century

Catalog description

The reckless act of pointing the telescope towards the sky entailed the emergence of anthropological, philosophical, and scientific issues. The discovery of an Earth-like Moon first, and then of "other Earths" in the sky revealed the need to rethink the image and role of both "our" Earth and human beings while also reflecting on the habitability conditions of planets and several cosmological theories. When did we start considering human beings as inhabitants of the sky? When were women involved in both imaginary and real astronomical journeys? How did the idea of celestial travel change over the last four centuries and how did the intertwinement of artistic and scientific artifacts contribute to the rise of new images of the universe? Which scientific discoveries led astronomers to wonder about the habitability conditions of planets in and beyond the solar system? Drawing on the descriptions of other worlds provided in Italian philosophical and literary texts, scientific and artistic artifacts from the Renaissance to the 19th century, alongside images relating to a truly observed or merely imagined "other Earth on the Moon," this course shall undertake a journey through the challenges faced in the transition from being inhabitants of the Earth to becoming citizens of the sky. By focusing on the scientific methods, material, and theoretical tools adopted by Italian philosophers and astronomers, students will gain a better understanding of the other worlds in the universe: from the Renaissance new definition of the Earth-Moon system and Galileo's methodological and epistemological reflections to Giovanni Schiaparelli's observations and debates on the so-called canals on Mars. They will explore the different methods and arguments employed to state the ontological homogeneity of space by referring to textual and visual documents, as well as material artifacts.…