Calandrelli, Ignazio

BornRome, (Italy), 22 November 1792

DiedRome, Italy, 12 February 1866

Ignazio Calandrelli was an observational astronomer and observatory director. Calandrelli was the son of Carlo Calandrelli and Margarita Girella and the nephew of Giuseppe Calandrelli . At the age of 12, he took religious orders and was admitted to the Gregorian University at the College of Rome. He took a degree in philosophy in 1814 and in the same year became allievo(student) at the observatory of the Collegio Romano, where his uncle was director. He concentrated on planetary observations (Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Great Comet C/1819 N1) but in 1845, due to internal hostilities, he moved to Bologna, where he was named professor of astronomy and director of the local observatory. A few years later Pope Pius IX called Calandrelli back to Rome, and he became director of the Campidoglio Observatory. From 1850 to his death, he concentrated upon comets and eclipses as well as the history of astronomy....