History in Space: the Italian Quintet for Astrophysics and Planetary Exploration

by Giovanni Bignami (Italian Space Agency (ASI) and University of Pavia, Italy)

Thursday 22 Jun 2000, 16:30 → 16:45 Europe/Zurich

500/1-001 - Main Auditorium (CERN)

Satellites, like ships or accelerator experiments, need a name: the more poetic, or the more apt, the better. The very first name of all, Sputnik, in '57 was not bad: 'someone who travels with you'. Then came names of famous scientists, such as NASA's Einstein, launched in '78 on the centennial of Albert's birth. The custom stuck, and actually grew in significance. No doubt in part owing to chance, there are now five scientific missions somewhere in the solar system which bear the names of illustrious Italians: one artist and four scientists. The missions are: ESA's Giotto, which flew by the nucleus of comet Halley in '86 and is still active for further cometary rendez-vous; NASA's Galileo probe to the Jovian system launched in '89 and now exploring Jupiter and its satellites; NASA's and ESA's Cassini mission, launched in '97 and currently on its way to Saturn; NASA's Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (98) and ASI's Beppo SAX ('96), both doing X-ray astronomy from low Earth orbits. The illustrious Italians are, of course, painter Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini (1625-1712) and physicists-astronomers Bruno Rossi (1905-1992) and Giuseppe (Beppo) Occhialini (1907-1993). We shall review some of their accomplishments, and, in counterpoint, the results of the fascinating planetary exploration and astrophysics missions, which bear their names.

Organiser(s): Luigi Di Lella / EP Division

Note: Tea & coffee will be served at 16.00 hrs.