How did Galileo discover Saturn?

Saturn. History. Saturn has been known since prehistoric times because it is easily visible to the naked eye. Not until the invention of the telescope, however, did people observe Saturn's magnificent rings. Galileo Galilei was the first to observe Saturn with a telescope in 1610. read more

In his third sunspot letter, dated December 1612, Galileo revealed another mystery about the planet: the lateral bodies had disappeared. Although Galileo confidently predicted that they would return, which they did, Saturn's appearances remained an enigma. read more

We now know that there are hundreds of them. Galileo was the first person to point a telescope upwards. read more

Galileo Galilei was the first to observe Saturn with a telescope in 1610. Because of the crudeness of his telescope, he couldn't determine what the rings were. He incorrectly guessed that there were two large moons on either side of Saturn. read more