Calandrelli, Ignazio

(b. Rome, Italy, 27 October 1792; d. Rome, 12 February 1866),

astronomy, mathematics.

A nephew of Giuseppe Calandrelli, Ignazio was professor of astronomy and director of the observatory of the University of Bologna from 1845 to 1848. Before and after this he held a similar position at the Pontifical University and at the Observatory of the Campidoglio in Rome. The latter was founded by Pope Leo XII (through the bull Quod divina sapientia), which provided for the establishment of a good astronomical observatory for the compilation of a calendar computed for Rome. The observatory, which the pontiff conceived of as constituting the “first true Roman observatory,” was completed in 1827, on the eastern tower of the Senatorial Palace of the Campidoglio.

Calandrelli’s scientific work was confined almost exclusively to positional astronomy. In 1853 he provided the observatory with Ertel’s meridian circle, with which he made observations on the determination of latitude; prepared a catalog of stars; and carried out studies on refraction. He also performed numerous calculations of the orbits of small planets and comets.

In 1858 Calandrelli published a memoir on the proper motion of Sirius and his observations on the solar eclipse of 15 March of that year. He observed the occultation of Saturn on 8 May 1859. Calandrelli was a member of the Accademia dei Nuovi Lincei in Rome.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Calandrelli’s works are listed in Poggendorff, III, 226. Among them is Lezioni elementari di astronomia teoricopratica ad use dei giovani studenti nelle due Università dello Stato Pontificio (Bologna. 1848).

Further information may be found in G. Abetti, Storiadell’astronomia (Florence. 1963), pp 381, 388, 389; and Osservatori astrofisici e astronomici italiani (Rome. 1956).

Giorgio Abetti