Father Angelo Secchi

Angelo Secchi (1818-1878) was born in a small house of Via Porta Brennone, and was the youngest of a large family of modest origins.
The city where he grew up still cherishes the memory of this illustrious son, who was destined to change forever the way we observe the sky.

After primary school, Angelo attended the Jesuit-run grammar school in Reggio Emilia and, upon completing his studies, joined the Society of Jesus permanently, starting a career that would lead him to become one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century.

From 1849 to 1878, he directed the Astronomical and Meteorological Observatory of the Collegio Romano, where his research spanned astronomy, physics, meteorology and geodesy.
He studied terrestrial magnetism, meteorology and geodetic measurements; he worked on aqueducts, public health, climate and electricity, becoming an international scientific authority.

In the field of meteorology, he invented the famous ‘Meteorograph’, an innovative instrument that remotely records temperature, pressure, humidity, wind direction and speed, and rainfall.
Presented and awarded a prize at the 1867 Paris World’s Fair, he received personal recognition from Napoleon III, who appointed him an Officer of the Légion d’Honneur.

However, it is in astronomy that Secchi left his most lasting mark: he observed double stars, nebulae, planets and comets; he studied the Sun, cataloguing sunspots and prominences; he analysed the spectra of over 4,000 stars, grouping them into four classes.
A monumental undertaking, marking a milestone in the history of astrophysics.

Secchi also undertook public service work: he provided the exact time in Rome, established geodetic benchmarks for the triangulation of the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples, contributed to the definition of Italy’s Prime Meridian from a geodetic perspective at Monte Mario, and participated in the Paris Commission for the definition of the metre standard.

Among his most famous publications are: The Unity of Physical Forces (1864), The Sun (1870) and The Stars (1877).

His name today resonates not only on Earth but in space: an asteroid, a mountain, a 35-km-long fissure, a 22-km-wide lunar crater and a crater on Mars measuring 234 km in diameter bear his name, bearing witness to the universal impact of his discoveries.

Father Angelo Secchi, who died in Rome February 26, 1878, is still a source of pride for Reggio Emilia and a symbol of how curiosity and knowledge can open up new horizons, getting to the stars.

Bicentenario di Angelo Secchi, il padre dell'astrofisica