The Ups and Downs (and Ups Again!) of Astrophysics in Italy After Secchi

Abstract

Astrophysics, the study of the constitution and physical state of celestial bodies derived from spectroscopic observations, had its pioneers in Italy with Angelo Secchi and other astronomers. Activity in the 1860s–1880s was vigorous, with major achievements represented by Secchi’s stellar classification, the monitoring of the solar activity by the Società degli spettroscopisti italiani, and the foundation of the first journal dedicated to the new science by Pietro Tacchini. A hiatus followed, caused by a lack of followers to carry on their work and a lack of financial support. A renewed interest emerged in the 1920s, thanks in particular to the influence of the American astrophysicist George Ellery Hale on Giorgio Abetti. Slowly, astrophysical studies grew in importance in Italian observatories and overtook classical astronomy in the 1950s–1960s. This chapter provides a historical review of this process from the first Italian astrophysicists until modern times.