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This will probably drop like a lead balloon, but what if Galileo had recognized his discovery of Neptune? He did notice it during a chance conjunction with Jupiter, and he even commented that it had moved between observations. He may even have noticed the color--Neptune looks very blue through even a weak telescope.

What would be the impact of discovering an invisible planet in the early 17th century? I imagine Uranus would be discovered a lot earlier (many had seen it, but they hadn't recognized it for what it is). But there must be more profound follow-on effects.

Thoughts?
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