Last August 2022, researchers discovered that a manuscript was thought to have been written by an Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei it turned out to be false. However, this discovery has led experts to find another book thought to have actually been written by Galileo Galilei, but written under a pseudonym.
The discovery comes from an examination of Galileo’s unpublished notes. This examination was carried out after the forgery of the manuscript was discovered.
Reported Live sciencedocuments show that Galileo Galilei was the original author of the treatise Astronomical Considerations by Alimberto Mauri o Astronomical considerations by Alimberto Mauri, published in 1604.
At that time the practice of writing under pseudonyms was common, mainly to avoid controversy. Galileo Galilei is also known to have written under several pseudonyms, but not for books astronomical considerations the.
The award was obtained by researcher Matteo Cosci of the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. According to him, Galileo’s work is a comprehensive treatise written by one of the most brilliant minds in Western science.
Discovery process
Again, Galileo’s written proof astronomical considerations it is the letter that authenticates his forged manuscript. Therefore, the legitimacy of Galileo’s treatise on the book is also questionable.
However, the investigation into the forged manuscripts led investigators to find Galileo’s notes that he wrote in a library in Florence, Italy.
In that note Galileo listed some criticisms that the scholar Ludovico delle Colombe had leveled at the ideas contained in the sheet of the treatise astronomical considerations by “Alimberto Mauri”.
In the note, Galileo wrote, Colombe “spoke of me condescendingly”.
“When Galileo wrote in his personal notes that Colombe ‘spoke of me condescendingly,’ he put himself in Mauri’s shoes,” Cosci said.
Controversial theories in books
Cosci explained that Colombe had previously published a treatise stating that the “new star” seen in 1604 was not a new star, but a permanent star that was seen only occasionally. The star later became known as a supernova.
Colombe’s opinion agrees with Aristotelian theory and with the Ptolemaic geocentric model of the solar system of the time, which was still incorrect because it stated that the Sun, planets and stars were fixed and revolved around the Earth.
Meanwhile “Alimberto Mauri” alias Galileo Galilei he argued in his treatise that the “new star” was actually new. He also explained the mechanism theory of how new stars can be created. These views of Galileo Galilei contradicted the Aristotelian views.
In addition, Galileo Galilei at that time also issued a radical opinion that the moon could have mountains.
Galileo’s treatise was published several years before Galileo’s famous work, A starry Messenger (Starry Messenger, 1610). A starry Messenger describes his groundbreaking observations of the Earth-Moon and four satellites of Jupiter through the first astronomical telescope.
“This treatise can be considered a prequel to Sidereus Nuncius, which was a work that changed the history of astronomy and science in general. For a historian of philosophy like me, this is a treasure,” Cosci said.
Why use a pseudonym?
According to Cosci, Considerazioni Astronomiche was written by Galileo Galilei while he was teaching at the University of Padua in northern Italy, then under the rule of the Republic of Venice.
According to him, the treaty may have been Galileo’s attempt to gain acclaim in Rome, as it was dedicated to the Pope’s treasury.
However, Rome and Venice instead encountered diplomatic problems. Therefore, according to Cosci, it was unwise for Galileo to put his real name on a treatise that was to be dedicated to the enemies of Venice.
University of Oklahoma history of science professor Peter Barker said Galileo likely used an assumed name to keep himself safe.
“It’s safer to use a pseudonym, because if something goes wrong, then it’s not your fault. But if the theory bounces around, you can just say ‘All along, I was the author,'” says Barker.
According to Barker, attribution astronomical considerations to Galileo di Cosci is correct. This action is also endorsed by Georgia State University historian Nick Wilding, who detected the forgery of the manuscript Galileo Galilei at the University of Michigan.
“This is an excellent example of how patient and intelligent archival research can undo some of the damage done by forgers. Dr. Cosci has shown us that a combination of skepticism and skill will lead us to historical truth,” said Nick Wilding.
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