Giovanni Domenico Cassini
| Giovanni Domenico Cassini | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
8 June 1625 Perinaldo, Republic of Genova |
| Died | 14 September 1712 (aged 87) Paris, France |
| Residence | Italy, France |
| Nationality | Italian, French |
| Fields | Mathematics, astrology astronomy, engineering |
| Institutions | University of Bologna |
| Alma mater | The Jesuit College at Genoa |
| Known for |
Cassini Division, Cassini's laws, Cassini oval; 1st to observe the division in the rings of Saturn |
GiovanniDomenico Cassini (8 June 1625 – 14 September 1712) was an Italian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and engineer. Cassini was born in Perinaldo, near Imperia, at that time in the County of Nice, part of the Duchy of Savoy. Cassini is known for his work in the fields of astronomy and engineering. Cassini discovered four satellites of the planet Saturn and noted the division of the rings of Saturn; the Cassini Division was named after him. Giovanni Domenico Cassini was also the first of his family to begin work on the project of creating a topographic map of France.
The Cassini spaceprobe, launched in 1997, was named after him and became the fourth to visit Saturn and the first to orbit the planet.
Cassini was the son of Jacopo Cassini, a Tuscan, and Giulia Crovesi. Cassini accepted a position at the observatory at Panzano, near Bologna, to work with Marquis Cornelio Malvasia, a rich amateur astronomer, in 1648 initiating the first part of Cassini's career. During Cassini's time at the Panzano Observatory, Cassini was able to complete his education under the scientists Giovanni Battista Riccioli and Francesco Maria Grimaldi. In 1650 the senate of Bologna appointed Cassini as the principal chair of astronomy at the University of Bologna. In San Petronio, Bologna, he created an important meridian, which helped settle the debate about whether the universe is geocentric. Cassini remained in Bologna working until Colbert recruited him to come to Paris to help set up the Paris Observatory. Cassini departed from Bologna on 25 February 1669.
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