a cozy corner of knowledge
You probably know the name Cassini from the Cassini-Huygens space mission, but do you really know who Cassini was?
Today, for this very first post, I want to introduce you to Giovanni Domenico Cassini, a major figure in 17th-century French astronomy!
Giovanni Domenico Cassini was born on June 8, 1625, in Italy. He was originally an Italian astronomer who later became a French citizen. He first worked for the pope and then for King Louis XIV, who invited him to Paris in 1669.
After broad studies in theology, law, and literature, Cassini developed a strong passion for mathematics, astronomy, and poetry.
Invited by Marquis Cornelio Malvasia to work at his observatory in Panzano, Cassini collaborated with renowned astronomers such as Riccioli and Grimaldi, names that left a mark on Italian scientific history.
His growing international reputation soon caught the attention of Colbert, Louis XIV's powerful minister. Colbert invited him to become a corresponding member of the brand-new French Académie des sciences in 1668, and then invited him to France to help establish the Paris Observatory.
The pope authorized him to leave his post temporarily, allowing him to keep his titles and salary.
Cassini discovered four of Saturn's moons: Iapetus (1671), Rhea (1672), Tethys, and Dione (1684)
The famous gap in Saturn's rings that still bears his name—the Cassini Division (1675), a landmark in astronomical observations.
Cassini became blind in 1710, but remained actively involved in research, working with his students and collaborators.
He died 2 years after in 1712 and was buried in Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas, his Paris parish.
He also founded a true scientific dynasty: for over a century, four generations of Cassinis directed the Paris Observatory, further expanding the international influence of French science.