Wide Angle: 400 Years of Astronomy

Modern astronomy's exact birthday is a matter of debate, but most historians agree that Galileo Galilei started the party some 400 years ago -- when he trained a then-brand new telescope on the night sky.

Four centuries later we can see even the unseen, including black holes, dark matter and the effects of dark energy. Yet astronomers have only scratched the surface of cosmological knowledge.

In this Discovery Space Wide Angle, we'll explain the latest advances in modern astronomy, bring you through its biggest moments and show off a next-generation telescope under construction.

• Top 10: Biggest Moments in Astronomy
  From Copernicus busting the Earth-centric model of the universe to the discovery of the Big Bang's calling card, check out the 10 biggest moments in astronomy.
  
  
• Opinion: Astronomy's Next 400 Years
  Astronomy has come a long way since Galileo. Astronomer Nick Woolf gives his take on where we're headed the next 400 years -- astronomically speaking, of course.
  
  
• News: 'Pathological' Black Hole Found
  Black holes won't let even light escape, so how can modern-day astronomers possibly detect them? Discovery News unveils the latest dark discovery.
  
  
• Video: Discovery Channel Telescope Starts Seeing Light
  How would a next-generation telescope measure up to Galileo's glorified spyglass? We check in on the Discovery Channel Telescope's progress to find out.
  
  
• HowStuffWorks: Ten Amazing Telescopes
  Take an informative peek at 10 of the best telescopes ever to probe the universe at HowStuffWorks.com.
  
  

Got something to say? E-mail your questions, comments or concerns to discoveryspace@discovery.com.

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