333
large refractor was installed at Pulkovo Observatory, the double astrograph at
Simeiz Observatory in Crimea, and the Schmidt telescope at Byurakan Observatory
in Armenia (Altamore and Ptitsyna 2016).
19.5 Astronomy in Rome After World War II
In 1946 the Astronomical Observatory of Tuscolo was merged into the Astronomical
Observatory of Rome. Armellini obtained funds to repair the war damage and finish
the construction. Thanks to the funds available for the European Recovery Program,
Armellini asked the new government of the Italian Republic for funds to increase
the scientific capabilities of the observatory. He began by building a solar tower on
Montemario and a new astronomical station at Campo Imperatore, a glacial plain at
2.200 m above sea level, near the summit of Gran Sasso d’Italia in the central
Apennines.
Massimo Cimino (1908–1991) had joined the Astronomical Observatory of
Rome in 1943, and in 1949 he obtained a Fulbright and National Research Council
(CNR) scholarship to be a guest researcher at the Mount Wilson and Palomar
Observatories. When he returned to Rome, he was appointed by Armellini to select
and design the instruments to equip both the solar tower and Campo Imperatore station and to supervise their construction.
At Campo Imperatore, he decided to install a Schmidt-type telescope of 36″
aperture and 24″ correcting plate, f = 3, to be equipped with a 4° objective prism.
The complete optics were constructed in California, and the fork-type mounting
was constructed in Italy, following the design of the Schmidt telescopes at Palomar
Observatory (Cimino 1951). In those years Schmidt telescopes represented a very
good choice for contemporary astronomy, and this was in line with the most
advanced astronomical observatories in the world at that time. Nevertheless, economic problems slowed down the completion of the astronomical station, which
was only inaugurated in late 1965 (Tempesti 1965).
The construction of the solar tower at Montemario was finished in 1952, but its
full scientific operability was only achieved around 1960. The Rome solar tower
was for many years the tallest in Europe, thanks to its 52 m focal length (34 m in
elevation plus a 18-m-deep well). Equipped with a double spectrograph, it was conceived mainly for studying solar magnetic fields and their evolution in time (Cimino
1966). It represented a significant boost to solar physics research in Rome, following the path of Respighi and Secchi, and it was dedicated to these illustrious scientists in recognition of their pioneering studies on this topic.
In 1957 Armellini retired and Massimo Cimino took over as director of the Rome
Observatory. Armellini was still living at the observatory at Montemario when, on
the night between July 15 and 16, 1958, a fire destroyed the main dome of the observatory and the Steinheil-Cavignato telescope within, including the Secchi Merz
telescope, which was being used as its finderscope. The next day, when Armellini
saw the disaster, he had a heart attack and suddenly died.
19 Astronomy in Rome After Secchi and His Legacy at the Astronomical Observatory…
large refractor was installed at Pulkovo Observatory, the double astrograph at
Simeiz Observatory in Crimea, and the Schmidt telescope at Byurakan Observatory
in Armenia (Altamore and Ptitsyna 2016).
19.5 Astronomy in Rome After World War II
In 1946 the Astronomical Observatory of Tuscolo was merged into the Astronomical
Observatory of Rome. Armellini obtained funds to repair the war damage and finish
the construction. Thanks to the funds available for the European Recovery Program,
Armellini asked the new government of the Italian Republic for funds to increase
the scientific capabilities of the observatory. He began by building a solar tower on
Montemario and a new astronomical station at Campo Imperatore, a glacial plain at
2.200 m above sea level, near the summit of Gran Sasso d’Italia in the central
Apennines.
Massimo Cimino (1908–1991) had joined the Astronomical Observatory of
Rome in 1943, and in 1949 he obtained a Fulbright and National Research Council
(CNR) scholarship to be a guest researcher at the Mount Wilson and Palomar
Observatories. When he returned to Rome, he was appointed by Armellini to select
and design the instruments to equip both the solar tower and Campo Imperatore station and to supervise their construction.
At Campo Imperatore, he decided to install a Schmidt-type telescope of 36″
aperture and 24″ correcting plate, f = 3, to be equipped with a 4° objective prism.
The complete optics were constructed in California, and the fork-type mounting
was constructed in Italy, following the design of the Schmidt telescopes at Palomar
Observatory (Cimino 1951). In those years Schmidt telescopes represented a very
good choice for contemporary astronomy, and this was in line with the most
advanced astronomical observatories in the world at that time. Nevertheless, economic problems slowed down the completion of the astronomical station, which
was only inaugurated in late 1965 (Tempesti 1965).
The construction of the solar tower at Montemario was finished in 1952, but its
full scientific operability was only achieved around 1960. The Rome solar tower
was for many years the tallest in Europe, thanks to its 52 m focal length (34 m in
elevation plus a 18-m-deep well). Equipped with a double spectrograph, it was conceived mainly for studying solar magnetic fields and their evolution in time (Cimino
1966). It represented a significant boost to solar physics research in Rome, following the path of Respighi and Secchi, and it was dedicated to these illustrious scientists in recognition of their pioneering studies on this topic.
In 1957 Armellini retired and Massimo Cimino took over as director of the Rome
Observatory. Armellini was still living at the observatory at Montemario when, on
the night between July 15 and 16, 1958, a fire destroyed the main dome of the observatory and the Steinheil-Cavignato telescope within, including the Secchi Merz
telescope, which was being used as its finderscope. The next day, when Armellini
saw the disaster, he had a heart attack and suddenly died.
19 Astronomy in Rome After Secchi and His Legacy at the Astronomical Observatory…