135
In this context, Secchi’s regular observations of sunspot groups together with
concurrent records of magnetic disturbances and aurorae can also help to identify
the occurrence of space weather events. For example, recent studies (Hayakawa
et al. 2018, 2019) of the original sunspot drawings by Secchi and other observers
and of visual auroral reports reveal that the Carrington event is probably not an
exceptional event but rather just a particularly extreme magnetic storm. While this
event has been considered to be a once-in-a-century catastrophe, Secchi’s and other
historical observations warn us that this may be something that occurs more frequently and hence might be a more imminent threat to modern civilization.
Finally, radiative energy from the Sun determines the basic climate of the Earth’s
surface and atmosphere and defines the terrestrial environment that supports all life
on our planet. Even given the measurements of the solar radiative energy attempted
in the nineteenth century by Secchi and other physicists, we still lack fundamental
knowledge of solar variability at different spectral ranges and over timescales longer than a solar cycle (Ermolli et al. 2013, Solanki et al. 2013). Hence, following the
methodologies applied by Secchi in his daily research, future experiments to monitor the total radiation coming from the Sun will need to perform measurements with
refined accuracy, precision, and continuity for long time intervals. This can help
scientists to detect possible long-term variations in the Sun’s output and the Earth’s
climate sensitivity to the natural effects of solar forcing.
Acknowledgments This research received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation program under grant agreement No 824135 (SOLARNET). It has made
use of NASA’s Astrophysics Data System.
References
Altamore, A., Poppi, F., & Bosco, T. (2018). The Rome historical Cauchoix telescope recovered,
the Vatican observatory, Castel Gandolfo: 80th anniversary celebration, pp. 185–196. https://
doi.org/10.1007/978- 3- 319- 67205- 2_13.
Carrington, R. C. (1859). Description of a singular appearance seen in the Sun on September 1,
1859. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 20, 13–15. https://doi.org/10.1093/
mnras/20.1.13.
Chinnici, I. (2008). The Società degli Spettroscopisti Italiani: birth and evolution. Annals of
Science, 65(3), 393–438.
Chinnici, I. (2018) Practicing science and faith: A short history of the Vatican observatory”,
in: The Vatican observatory, Castel Gandolfo: 80th anniversary celebration (eds. G. Gionti,
J.-B. Kikwaya Eluo), Springer, pp. 219–231.
Chinnici, I., & Gasperini, A. (2013). Alle origini dell’astrofisica italiana: il carteggio SecchiTacchini 1861–1877 (p. 496). Firenze: Atti della Fondazione Ronchi CXVI.
Collados, M., Bettonvil, F., & Cavaller, L. (2013). EST: The largest and most sensitive spectropolarimeter, highlights of Spanish astrophysics VII. In Guirado, J. C., Lara, L. M., Quilis, V., &
Gorgas, J. (eds.), Proceedings of the X scientific meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society
(SEA), held in Valencia, July 9–13, 2012 pp. 808–819.
7 The Legacy of Angelo Secchi at the Forefront of Solar Physics Research
In this context, Secchi’s regular observations of sunspot groups together with
concurrent records of magnetic disturbances and aurorae can also help to identify
the occurrence of space weather events. For example, recent studies (Hayakawa
et al. 2018, 2019) of the original sunspot drawings by Secchi and other observers
and of visual auroral reports reveal that the Carrington event is probably not an
exceptional event but rather just a particularly extreme magnetic storm. While this
event has been considered to be a once-in-a-century catastrophe, Secchi’s and other
historical observations warn us that this may be something that occurs more frequently and hence might be a more imminent threat to modern civilization.
Finally, radiative energy from the Sun determines the basic climate of the Earth’s
surface and atmosphere and defines the terrestrial environment that supports all life
on our planet. Even given the measurements of the solar radiative energy attempted
in the nineteenth century by Secchi and other physicists, we still lack fundamental
knowledge of solar variability at different spectral ranges and over timescales longer than a solar cycle (Ermolli et al. 2013, Solanki et al. 2013). Hence, following the
methodologies applied by Secchi in his daily research, future experiments to monitor the total radiation coming from the Sun will need to perform measurements with
refined accuracy, precision, and continuity for long time intervals. This can help
scientists to detect possible long-term variations in the Sun’s output and the Earth’s
climate sensitivity to the natural effects of solar forcing.
Acknowledgments This research received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation program under grant agreement No 824135 (SOLARNET). It has made
use of NASA’s Astrophysics Data System.
References
Altamore, A., Poppi, F., & Bosco, T. (2018). The Rome historical Cauchoix telescope recovered,
the Vatican observatory, Castel Gandolfo: 80th anniversary celebration, pp. 185–196. https://
doi.org/10.1007/978- 3- 319- 67205- 2_13.
Carrington, R. C. (1859). Description of a singular appearance seen in the Sun on September 1,
1859. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 20, 13–15. https://doi.org/10.1093/
mnras/20.1.13.
Chinnici, I. (2008). The Società degli Spettroscopisti Italiani: birth and evolution. Annals of
Science, 65(3), 393–438.
Chinnici, I. (2018) Practicing science and faith: A short history of the Vatican observatory”,
in: The Vatican observatory, Castel Gandolfo: 80th anniversary celebration (eds. G. Gionti,
J.-B. Kikwaya Eluo), Springer, pp. 219–231.
Chinnici, I., & Gasperini, A. (2013). Alle origini dell’astrofisica italiana: il carteggio SecchiTacchini 1861–1877 (p. 496). Firenze: Atti della Fondazione Ronchi CXVI.
Collados, M., Bettonvil, F., & Cavaller, L. (2013). EST: The largest and most sensitive spectropolarimeter, highlights of Spanish astrophysics VII. In Guirado, J. C., Lara, L. M., Quilis, V., &
Gorgas, J. (eds.), Proceedings of the X scientific meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society
(SEA), held in Valencia, July 9–13, 2012 pp. 808–819.
7 The Legacy of Angelo Secchi at the Forefront of Solar Physics Research