Tales of Astronomy

Polvere di Stelle offers a series of short stories, edited by Federico Di Giacomo, to tell the historical and scientific events of the astronomical instrumentation, historical observatories, and of the protagonists of astronomy in past centuries.

Dembowski, history of a telescope

The story of the biggest Paduan telescope, purchased "second-hand" by the heirs of Baron Ercole Dembowski in 1881 and it was used until the mid-twentieth century.

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Firenze, the headquarters of comets

In Florence, in the 19th century, 13 comets were discovered and many others were observed. We retrace the history of the observations made by the astronomers who made the city the headquarters of the comets.

Watch the video Firenze, the headquarters of comets

The adventures of the Merz telescope

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Italian astronomy was crossed by great scientific and technological progress. We retrace the astronomical journeys of the first telescope purchased by the Italian kingdom, the equatorial Merz of the Capodimonte Observatory.

Watch the video The adventures of the Merz telescope

Roma, capital of astrophysics

In the second half of the XIX century, Angelo Secchi and Lorenzo Respighi, directors of the Observatories of the Collegio Romano and the Campidoglio, were the protagonists of a real revolution, changing the way of observing and studying the sky. We retrace the history of the two astronomers who with their research made Rome and all of Italy in the capital of astrophysics.

Watch the video Roma, capital of astrophysics

Ancient skies and new horizons

The geocentric view of the Cosmos, formed in ancient times, has survived throughout history until the middle of 1500, when Copernicus gave the start to modern astronomy.

Guarda il video Ancient skies and new horizons