For decades, the University of Michigan Library held an esteemed article. The precious paper was a letter penned by Italian scientist Galileo Galilei, which included sketches of Jupiter’s moons.
The library acquired the letter in 1938 and considered it a prized possession because it was evidence of Galileo’s thought process as he worked toward his understanding that the planets revolved around the sun.
But a historical detective sensed it was a fake and one of many manuscripts or documents that were intentionally misrepresented to collectors, libraries, or museums.
The Intrigue Surrounding Galileo's Mysterious Letter
When it came to the Michigan letter, the location was everything to historian Nick Wilding.
