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Shoulders of Giants

AstroCappella: Shoulders of GiantsMusic and Lyrics by Padi Boyd

© 2008, The Johannes Kepler Project

This song was commissioned by the Johannes Kepler Project for the International Year of Astronomy 2009. "Shoulders of Giants", which celebrates Galileo's first glimpse of the heavens through his telescope -- and the astonishing pace of discovery ushered in by his observations.

PowerPoint provided by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

Download song to accompany this PowerPoint: http://www.astrocappella.com/IYA/shoulders.shtml Click at each “...”

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It was a calm and cloudless night but it was all still a blur…

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A shaking of our Universe was just about to occur …

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It was Summertime 1609

when Galileo used his telescope for the very first time.

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and he saw mountains and craters on the moon …

and a Milky Way with thousands of stars …

and he saw Jupiter, with four tiny moons

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He was the only man on Earth that night who knew …

That Copernicus was right.

Come outside with me tonight –

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And I can show you wonders of the world to surprise and delight

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I've got my telescope with me just wait until you see that on the Shoulders of Giants....

... we'll see beyond!

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The world turns round and round now around 400 years have flown

Since Galileo's telescope first focused the unknown…

Now we use bigger glass to peer into the past

And we're discovering the Universe's secrets at last

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And there are geysers on Saturn's icy moon …

And planets circling hundreds of stars …

While all the Universe expands like a balloon.

From Galileo's tiny scope we've come so far

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Galileo was right when he looked out in the night

And he discovered wonders of the world to surprise and delight…

I've got my telescope with me just wait until you see

We'll stand on the Shoulders of Giants...

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And every step follows the one before

And opens up a new frontier to explore

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Our 'scopes are dancing in space To see the beauty and grace Oh, Galileo would approve, that's for sure.

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And still for me and you we can join in on this too

Just climb up here with me where we'll see more

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It's a calm and cloudless night, come outside with me tonight

and I can show you wonders of the world

to surprise and delight …

I've got my telescope with me – just wait until you see

We'll stand on the Shoulders of Giants

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Galileo knew that Copernicus was right.

Come outside with me tonight …

And I can show you wonders of the world to surprise and delight

I've got my telescope with me – just wait until you see

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We'll stand on the Shoulders of Giants … to see beyond!