105
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
I. Chinnici, G. Consolmagno (eds.), Angelo Secchi and Nineteenth Century Science,
Historical & Cultural Astronomy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58384-2_6
Chapter 6
Planetary Observations by Angelo Secchi
Richard McKim and William Sheehan
6.1 Introduction
Father Angelo Secchi (1818–1878) was responsible for adding the word ‘canal’ to
the vocabulary of the Martian specialist and the nickname ‘Blue Scorpion’ for the
feature later to be christened ‘Syrtis Major’ by Giovanni V. Schiaparelli (1835–1910).
Secchi also referred to it as the ‘canal Atlantique’, and gave names to other markings. These, together with all other names proposed before 1877, have not stood the
test of time. But some of Secchi’s observations are still very important to this day.
For instance, many years after the observations were made, it was noticed that
Secchi had recorded an early example of a Martian dust storm, and he was the first
astronomer to associate an increased yellowness of the Martian disk with faintness
of the markings.
Secchi was an energetic planetary observer for two decades, with much of that
energy devoted to the Red Planet. Beginning in 1856, Secchi studied Mars up till
1871. He carried out important spectroscopic research on Mars and the outer planets, using the 244 mm refractor of the Collegio Romano.
Prior to the opposition of Mars of 1856, Martian studies had been fairly moribund ever since the German astronomers Wilhelm Beer (1797–1850) and Johann
Heinrich von Mädler (1794–1874) carried out their important studies in the 1830s,
which had led to the creation of the first maps of the planet.
After the 1845 opposition, which was perihelic, Mars retreated through a series
of less favourable oppositions. The opposition of 1856 was marginally better than
the two which had preceded it, with the disk diameter attaining 15.1 arc seconds.
R. McKim (*)
British Astronomical Association, London, UK
W. Sheehan
Flagstaff, AZ, USA
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
I. Chinnici, G. Consolmagno (eds.), Angelo Secchi and Nineteenth Century Science,
Historical & Cultural Astronomy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58384-2_6
Chapter 6
Planetary Observations by Angelo Secchi
Richard McKim and William Sheehan
6.1 Introduction
Father Angelo Secchi (1818–1878) was responsible for adding the word ‘canal’ to
the vocabulary of the Martian specialist and the nickname ‘Blue Scorpion’ for the
feature later to be christened ‘Syrtis Major’ by Giovanni V. Schiaparelli (1835–1910).
Secchi also referred to it as the ‘canal Atlantique’, and gave names to other markings. These, together with all other names proposed before 1877, have not stood the
test of time. But some of Secchi’s observations are still very important to this day.
For instance, many years after the observations were made, it was noticed that
Secchi had recorded an early example of a Martian dust storm, and he was the first
astronomer to associate an increased yellowness of the Martian disk with faintness
of the markings.
Secchi was an energetic planetary observer for two decades, with much of that
energy devoted to the Red Planet. Beginning in 1856, Secchi studied Mars up till
1871. He carried out important spectroscopic research on Mars and the outer planets, using the 244 mm refractor of the Collegio Romano.
Prior to the opposition of Mars of 1856, Martian studies had been fairly moribund ever since the German astronomers Wilhelm Beer (1797–1850) and Johann
Heinrich von Mädler (1794–1874) carried out their important studies in the 1830s,
which had led to the creation of the first maps of the planet.
After the 1845 opposition, which was perihelic, Mars retreated through a series
of less favourable oppositions. The opposition of 1856 was marginally better than
the two which had preceded it, with the disk diameter attaining 15.1 arc seconds.
R. McKim (*)
British Astronomical Association, London, UK
W. Sheehan
Flagstaff, AZ, USA