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and, in general, technologies both on the Earth and in space. In the second half of
the nineteenth century, this connection was guessed at, but not proved.
In order to study the variations of the Earth’s magnetic field on different temporal
scales and to highlight the correlations with the auroral and atmospheric phenomena, in 1858, he organized the Magnetic Department of the observatory, which
housed at least six magnetometers for measuring the components of the geomagnetic field.
The geomagnetic observatory was built in 1858. It was the first such observatory
established in the Italian peninsula and was equipped with the most advanced instrumentation of the time, similar to that of the most important geomagnetic observatories of Europe (Pitsyna and Altamore 2012). To measure the intensity of the
horizontal and vertical components of the field it used two declinometers, a Barrow
inclinometer, and three magnetometers. The laboratory was painstakingly realized
using the standards developed by the international scientific community, with the
aim of obtaining absolute measurements of the terrestrial magnetic field and its
variations, comparable to those collected at other sites around the world.
Near the Geomagnetic Observatory Secchi also established a small Department
for Electrical Measurements, consisting of a turret, still visible today, which housed
Fig. 1.10 Picture illustrating how the slit of the spectroscope was placed and progressively shifted
near the solar limb for visual scanning of solar prominences in the H-alpha line. (Secchi 1875–77)
1 An Introduction to Angelo Secchi and his Collegio Romano Observatory
and, in general, technologies both on the Earth and in space. In the second half of
the nineteenth century, this connection was guessed at, but not proved.
In order to study the variations of the Earth’s magnetic field on different temporal
scales and to highlight the correlations with the auroral and atmospheric phenomena, in 1858, he organized the Magnetic Department of the observatory, which
housed at least six magnetometers for measuring the components of the geomagnetic field.
The geomagnetic observatory was built in 1858. It was the first such observatory
established in the Italian peninsula and was equipped with the most advanced instrumentation of the time, similar to that of the most important geomagnetic observatories of Europe (Pitsyna and Altamore 2012). To measure the intensity of the
horizontal and vertical components of the field it used two declinometers, a Barrow
inclinometer, and three magnetometers. The laboratory was painstakingly realized
using the standards developed by the international scientific community, with the
aim of obtaining absolute measurements of the terrestrial magnetic field and its
variations, comparable to those collected at other sites around the world.
Near the Geomagnetic Observatory Secchi also established a small Department
for Electrical Measurements, consisting of a turret, still visible today, which housed
Fig. 1.10 Picture illustrating how the slit of the spectroscope was placed and progressively shifted
near the solar limb for visual scanning of solar prominences in the H-alpha line. (Secchi 1875–77)
1 An Introduction to Angelo Secchi and his Collegio Romano Observatory