Finished reading Galileo's Daughter today.  The ending was fantastic in every sense of the word.  Of course he dies, but just before that he goes blind.  The irony was that Galileo was a man who saw much, much farther than anyone else at the time.  For one like him to go blind could be devastating.  The irony was not lost on this amazing man.  We all owe him a great debt.

Here a poem for Galileo:

Some looked through your telescope
And were blind
They saw only darkness of dogma
And missed the light.

Now you are blind
But see clearly
To the edge of the universe.
It is those who condemn you
That cannot see.

Death walks by your side
And tenderly holds your hand
While your darkened eyes look up
To see the jewels of night
Lighting up the crooked pathways
To eternity.