Finding the Speed of Light: The 1676 Discovery That Dazzled the World

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The narrative explores Ole Romer's groundbreaking discovery of the speed of light in the 17th century, achieved through meticulous observations of Jupiter's moon Io. Despite skepticism about light's travel, Romer's accidental findings revealed that the time discrepancies in Io's appearances were due to the varying distance of Earth from Jupiter. His innovative approach combined observational astronomy with geometry, leading to an astonishingly accurate measurement of light's speed, marking a significant milestone in scientific history.