"One hardly knows where, in the history of science, to look for an important movement that had its effective start in so pure and simple an accident as that which led to the building of the great Washington telescope, and went on to the discovery of the satellites of Mars"
- Simon Newcomb
About this Quote
This quote by Simon Newcomb is describing the discovery of the satellites of Mars by the astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877. Hall was working at the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC and was utilizing a large telescope to observe the night sky. One night, while taking a look at Mars, he noticed two faint stars that he had actually not seen prior to. After more observation, he understood that these were 2 moons orbiting Mars. This discovery was a major development in the history of science and was made possible by the big telescope at the US Naval Observatory. This quote is highlighting the significance of the telescope and the role it played in the discovery of the satellites of Mars. It also highlights the importance of chance and how an apparently small and irrelevant event can lead to a significant advancement in science.
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