On the occasion of the bicentenary of the death of Giuseppe Piazzi (1746-1826), first director of Palermo Observatory and later General Director of the Observatories of Palermo and Capodimonte, we invite the international astronomical community to join us in a tribute to the illustrious astronomer with a conference dealing with a range of current research fields.
Piazzi’s reputation is due to the discovery of the first asteroid, Ceres (now classified as dwarf planet) in 1801, as well as to the redaction of an important star catalogue in two editions (1803 and 1814) and the utilization of an innovative telescope, the Ramsden Circle (1789).
The bicentenary hence offers the opportunity to organize an international congress on current research in Piazzi-related fields, namely astrometry, small bodies of the solar system and new technologies – in order to present the current scientific results and perspectives in these fields, still cutting-edge today.
The congress will be structured into four sessions:
1. Astrometry;
2. Small Bodies of the solar system I – Asteroids, Dwarf Planets and TNO;
3. Small Bodies of the solar system II – Comets, Meteorites and Debris;
4. New Technologies.
You are invited to submit your abstracts by 24 April 2026.
Registrations are open until 29 May 2026.
Please, note that the conference is in-person and that no poster session is planned.
SOC: Giuseppina Micela (chair), INAF-OAPa; Frédéric Arenou, Observatoire de Paris; Cesare Cecchi Pestellini, INAF OAPa; Ileana Chinnici, INAF-OAPa; Angela Ciaravella, INAF-OAPa; Guy Consolmagno, Vatican Observatory; Louise Devoy, Royal Observatory of Greenwich; Maria Cristina De Sanctis, INAF-IAPS; Mauro Gargano, INAF-OAC; Antonino La Barbera, INAF-IASF; Simone Marchi, Southwest Research Institute; Marcella Marconi, INAF-OAC; Marco Miceli, Università di Palermo; Pietro Schipani, INAF-OAC.
LOC: Laura Daricello* (chair), Maria Rosalia Carotenuto (associata INAF), Paola Ciacchella*, Giuseppe Fiasconaro (INAF-IASF), Vincenza Calogera Gencorusso*, Ruben Genoese*, Laura Leonardi*, Flavio Morale*, Rosa Orlando*, Salvatore Speziale*, Giuseppe Vitale*.
*(INAF-OAPa)
