345
the Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma. INAF chose to digitize these materials both
to make these documents accessible for the studies in the field of history of astronomy and the solar physics and to pay a tribute to Angelo Secchi in the bicentenary
of his birth. This is a very appropriate way to honor the astronomer who changed the
point of view on the research in astronomy by turning it into the modern science we
know and practice today.
20.2 Between Heaven and Earth: The Bicentenary
of Angelo Secchi
The year 2018, the bicentenary of Secchi’s birth, saw a series of cultural and scientific initiatives that paid tribute to aspects of his private life and scientific endeavors
that previously were not widely known. These tributes were especially important to
the younger generation, who are so bombarded with instant information that they
may find little space to reflect on the contributions that even the recent past have
given to the progress and development of contemporary society. Among the many
in-depth studies and celebratory activities, the exhibition Tra Cielo e Terra:
l’avventura scientifica di Angelo Secchi (Between Heaven and Earth: the scientific
adventure of Angelo Secchi) curated by Ileana Chinnici and Mauro Gargano played
a special role. This virtual exhibition, with a strong multidisciplinary bent containing a wide collection of writings and ideas, offered an insight into the rich historical
and scientific heritage of the astronomer from Reggio Emilia, highlighting various
biographical aspects and noting his important contributions in a multiplicity of scientific fields from astrophysics to meteorology, from geophysics to solar physics,
from oceanography to geodesy and technology.
4
The virtual tour allows the visitor
to navigate through documentary sources such as reproductions of historical documents and photos of the original tools used by Secchi. While the exhibition certainly
does not pretend to exhaust the many biographical and scientific aspects that remain
to be explored, it serves as a window into the rich historical and scientific heritage
of Angelo Secchi and the various sides of his multifaceted figure as a scientist. Its
goal is to be an instrument that arouses interest and curiosity in scholars of the history of science and astronomy enthusiasts and which contributes to the dissemination of knowledge about the challenges of science, both historical and modern,
aimed at students as well as educated adults and the wider Italian and international
audience.
4 https://tracieloeterra.bicentenarioangelosecchi.it/
20 Secchi’s Diffuse Correspondence in Italian Archives
the Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma. INAF chose to digitize these materials both
to make these documents accessible for the studies in the field of history of astronomy and the solar physics and to pay a tribute to Angelo Secchi in the bicentenary
of his birth. This is a very appropriate way to honor the astronomer who changed the
point of view on the research in astronomy by turning it into the modern science we
know and practice today.
20.2 Between Heaven and Earth: The Bicentenary
of Angelo Secchi
The year 2018, the bicentenary of Secchi’s birth, saw a series of cultural and scientific initiatives that paid tribute to aspects of his private life and scientific endeavors
that previously were not widely known. These tributes were especially important to
the younger generation, who are so bombarded with instant information that they
may find little space to reflect on the contributions that even the recent past have
given to the progress and development of contemporary society. Among the many
in-depth studies and celebratory activities, the exhibition Tra Cielo e Terra:
l’avventura scientifica di Angelo Secchi (Between Heaven and Earth: the scientific
adventure of Angelo Secchi) curated by Ileana Chinnici and Mauro Gargano played
a special role. This virtual exhibition, with a strong multidisciplinary bent containing a wide collection of writings and ideas, offered an insight into the rich historical
and scientific heritage of the astronomer from Reggio Emilia, highlighting various
biographical aspects and noting his important contributions in a multiplicity of scientific fields from astrophysics to meteorology, from geophysics to solar physics,
from oceanography to geodesy and technology.
4
The virtual tour allows the visitor
to navigate through documentary sources such as reproductions of historical documents and photos of the original tools used by Secchi. While the exhibition certainly
does not pretend to exhaust the many biographical and scientific aspects that remain
to be explored, it serves as a window into the rich historical and scientific heritage
of Angelo Secchi and the various sides of his multifaceted figure as a scientist. Its
goal is to be an instrument that arouses interest and curiosity in scholars of the history of science and astronomy enthusiasts and which contributes to the dissemination of knowledge about the challenges of science, both historical and modern,
aimed at students as well as educated adults and the wider Italian and international
audience.
4 https://tracieloeterra.bicentenarioangelosecchi.it/
20 Secchi’s Diffuse Correspondence in Italian Archives