In the second half of the 19th century, Italian astronomers made a fundamental contribution to the birth of astrophysics through the first spectroscopic analysis of stellar light. These were the dawn of spectroscopy and astrophysics, transforming our scientific knowledge of the universe through the study of the intrinsic characteristics of stars (chemical composition, temperature, density,...
While we celebrate our friend Daniele from Pisa, I will talk about another great Pisan
astronomer, Giovanni Battista Donati (1826-1873), pioneer of Astrophysics and founder
of the Arcetri Observatory. Despite his many achievements, Donati had received little
attention by Italian science historians in the past. In the last two decades, however, the
situation has changed, thanks to Daniele,...
The scientific relationship between Giuseppe Lorenzoni (1843-1914) and Antonio Abetti (1846-1928) is one of the most significant and enduring partnerships in late 19th-century Italian astronomy. Despite their similar ages, Abetti always regarded Lorenzoni as his Master, a respect that fostered rather than hindered their productive scientific collaboration. Their deep personal bond, which...
