Abstract
In 1609, Galileo turned his newly made telescope toward the heavens and, in rapid succession, discovered mountains on the Moon, a multitude of previously invisible stars, and four moons orbiting Jupiter. Many of Galileo's observations were made from his backyard.
Four centuries after Galileo's 1609 observations-thanks to the revolutionary trio of compact Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, personal computers, ind affordable CCD cameras-thousands of backyard "Galileos" around the planet are now probing cosmic mysteries every clear night. This book celebrates Galileo's achievements by examining his legacy: the remarkable resurgence
of small telescope astronomical research by professionals, amateurs, and, especially, undergraduate and high school students.
