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Pietro Tacchini (1838-1905), a Key-figure in the Post-Unitarian Italian Astronomy

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Mem. S.A.It. Suppl. Vol. 9, 28 Memorie della c SAIt 2006 Supplementi Pietro Tacchini (1838-1905), a key-figure in the post-Unitarian Italian astronomy I. Chinnici INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo Giuseppe S. Vaiana, Piazza del Parlamento 1, I-90134 Palermo, Italy e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. A short scientific profile of the astronomer Pietro Tacchini is drafted in this paper, paying special attention to his contribution in the field of solar physics and his lead- ing role in the establishment of the Societa` degli Spettroscopisti Italiani, forerunner of the Societa` Astronomica Italiana. Key words. History, Sun, astrophysics, Italy Pietro Tacchini (1838-1905) is one of the Modena, where the situation was changed in most important but less known figures in the the meantime: Bianchi has resigned as a conse- context of the Italian XIX century science, af- quence of the establishment of a revolutionary ter the political Unity of the nation. His activity government and Tacchini applied for the po- concerned not only astronomy but also many sition of director of the Modena Observatory other scientific disciplines, such as meteorol- - and obtained it. At that time, he was only ogy, seismology, etc. A complete and detailed 21 years-old and his activity at the Modena description of his scientific works is out of the Observatory was no more than a continuation aim of this paper, whose main purpose is to of his training in practical astronomy: actually, draft his contribution to astronomy and espe- he published only a few works about positional cially to the development of solar physics, a astronomy and meteorology - the only kind of field in which he played an important role in research he could carry out with the small in- Italy. struments installed at the Modena Observatory. Born in Modena on March 21st, 1838, An important opportunity was offered he studied at first as engineer in the na- to Tacchini in 1863 by Giovanni Virginio tive town and then went to Padua to prac- Schiaparelli (1787-1877). The famous as- tice astronomy, as requested by Giuseppe tronomer had been contacted by Michele Bianchi (1791-1866), Director of the small Amari (1806-1889), Minister of the Public Modena Observatory, who needed him as as- Instruction, who asked his advice about the sit- sistant. Tacchini spent two years at the Padua uation of the Palermo Observatory, where ”an Observatory under the direction of Giovanni assistant acting as a Director” was requested. Santini (1787-1877) and then he come back to The Palermo Observatory was a prestigious institution, thanks to the scientific activity of Send offprint requests to: I. Chinnici its first Director, Giuseppe Piazzi (1746-1826), Chinnici: Pietro Tacchini 29 ... Il Ministro della Pubblica Istruzione mi ordina di farle privatamente la seguente do- manda: = Accetterebbe V. S. di andare 2◦ Astronomo all’Osservatorio di Palermo con un assegno annuo di L. 4000, e senz’altro ob- bligo che quello di attendere con zelo alle os- servazioni astronomiche? = Mi premerebbe di avere una risposta pronta e decisiva. [...] Io non conosco altri che meglio di V. S. possa riempire questo ufficio. E d’altra parte preme, che i buoni strumenti, di cui in Italia non v’`e troppa abbondanza, siano degnamente impie- gati. Sono gli strumenti in parte forse nuovi per Lei; ma Ella non avr`adifficolt`aa render- seli famigliari: circa poi all’uso dei medesimi, norma eccellente avr`adal suo egregio mae- stro Santini; io pure mi prester`oper via epis- tolare a servirla in tutto quello di cui sono capace [...] Ella stessa vedr`aquali saranno i grandi lavori da intraprendersi con strumenti s`ıbelli. [...] Non devo dimenticare di farle cog- nito, che a Palermo il vivere `ea molto buon mercato; che la sua abitazione sar`agratuita, sotto l’Osservatorio, ampia, e bellissima; che coi Siciliani si pu`o vivere molto bene; che Fig. 1. Pietro Tacchini (1838-1905). con Cacciatore se l’intender`afacilmente; che il clima Palermitano `etemperato in ogni sta- gione, e forse il pi`usano d’Italia; che le donne Palermitane infine sono belle oltre ogni dire.1 whose main works were the discovery of the Tacchini consulted Santini in Padua and first asteroid, Ceres, and the publication of a was encouraged by him to accept: stellar catalogue in 1803, re-edited in 1814. Palermo deve essere una bella, grande, e Moreover, at that time it was equipped with ricca citt`a;[...] lo stipendio di Fr. 4000, il very good instruments, such as a Meridian nome dell’Osservatorio di Palermo, di Piazzi; Circle by Pistor & Martins and a 25-cm aper- non che i lavori gi`aillustri ... degli altri as- ture Merz equatorial, the latter unfortunately tronomi che vi figurarono, parmi che gius- still laying in the packing cases. The direc- tifichino la vostra disposizione ad accettare; tor Gaetano Cacciatore (1814-1889), an ac- ed io pure accetterei la esibizione, che vi tive supporter of the anti-borbonic party, bet- viene fatta se fossi nella vostra posizione. [...] ter known for his political engagement than for Cost`ı in fine siete quasi solo, ed isolato in his scientific activity, did not appear in a con- Astronomia, e col`aavreste [...] occasioni di dition to manage properly the research at the poter[v]i distinguere in un osservatorio ben Observatory. For this reason, it was decided to montato, e gi`aconosciuto.2 appoint a smart assistant who could give a new impulse to the scientific activity of the estab- lishment. 1 Schiaparelli to Tacchini, Milan, 19-08-1863; in: Schiaparelli wrote to Tacchini asking him Lugli, 2001, pp. 225-6. to accept the position of adjoint astronomer at 2 Santini to Tacchini, Padua, 22-08-1863 the Palermo Observatory, explaining him all (Archives Ufficio Centrale di Ecologia Agraria, the advantages of this choice: Fondo Tacchini). 30 Chinnici: Pietro Tacchini Fin dalle prime osservazioni da me fatte nel marzo 1871 io fui subito condotto alla distinzione generale delle protuberanze in due grandi categorie, cio`enebulose e filamentose ... e notai inoltre diversi casi di forma radiate a punte dritte distintissime.3 Tacchini and Secchi shared the same con- viction that the future of astronomy was in astrophysics, a borning discipline which ap- plied spectral analysis to starlight. Many as- tronomers did not accept this view and pre- ferred to confine astronomy simply in the range of celestial mechanics, showing a sort of hos- tility towards astrophysics, as Tacchini wrote to Secchi: ... in tutti gli uomini avvezzi alle for- mole si trova una ripugnanza eccessiva per l’astronomia fisica: mentre per la scienza a me pare che sia di eguale interesse l’arrivare a conoscere la composizione di una protuber- anza come l’orbita di un pianeta o di una stella 4 Fig. 2. The Merz telescope installed by Tacchini at ... the Palermo Observatory in 1865; he used it to start Because of the same scientific interests, solar physics research in Palermo. Tacchini’s contacts with Secchi became more and more frequent; the two astronomers started a fruitful cooperation which led to the birth In October 1863 Tacchini therefore arrived of a scientific society, especially devoted to in Palermo and immediately worked at the in- the spectroscopic observations of the Sun. The stallation of the Merz Equatorial, last legacy of Societa` degli Spettroscopisti Italiani was estab- the Borbonic Government before its fall. Once lished in October 1871 by Secchi and Tacchini set the instrument, he paid special attention to with the aim to coordinate the solar spectro- the solar observations. In those years, some scopic research in Italy: controversies had arisen about the solar pho- ... il Secchi mi comunicava l’idea di for- tospheric features; important contributions on mare una societ`a di Spettroscopisti Italiani, this subject had been given by Angelo Secchi i quali lavorando di comune accordo e sec- S. J. (1818-1878) in Rome, who used a Merz ondo un programma stabilito, avrebbero dato equatorial identical to the one in Palermo. Of in poco tempo la richiesta serie di regolari e course, it was very interesting for Tacchini to continue osservazioni per la sicura ed accel- check Secchi’s observations with his own in- erata soluzione di importanti problemi relativi strument. alla fisica solare. 5 Tacchini started also spectroscopic obser- They involved in their programme other vations of the solar limb in 1871, when he ob- Italian astronomers working in the field of so- tained a good spectroscope acquired for ob- lar spectroscopy, such as Giuseppe Lorenzoni serving the total solar eclipse of 1870, visible (1843-1914) in Padua and Lorenzo Respighi from Sicily: he had been the most active orga- nizer of the Italian expedition and the Editor of 3 Tacchini, 1871, pp. 93-94. the Report of the Italian Committee. 4 Tacchini to Secchi, 08-02-1873 (Archives P. Thanks to his excellent ability in observing Universit Gregoriana, Fondo Angelo Secchi S. J., and drawing, Tacchini drafted one of the first 20, 88). classifications of the solar prominences: 5 Tacchini, 1872, p. 3. Chinnici: Pietro Tacchini 31 Fig. 3. Solar prominences observed by Tacchini in 1871. (1824-1889) in Rome. Tacchini became editor spectral lines were found confirming the exis- of the journal of the Society, the Memorie della tence of Venus’atmosphere. Societ`adegli Spettroscopisti Italiani (see pa- per by S. Serio) which can be rightfully con- On that occasion, Tacchini had the op- sidered the first astrophysical journal and had portunity to establish an astrophysical obser- so a good welcome from the international as- vatory in Calcutta, with the aim to have a tronomical community that they were awarded winter station for the solar spectroscopic ob- with a medal and a diploma in 1873 at the servations.
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