Giuseppe Piazzi

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Read Next

Galaxy clusters like Abell 2744 can act as a natural cosmic lens, magnifying light from more distant, background objects through gravity. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope may be able to detect light from the first stars in the universe if they are gravitationally lensed by such clusters. (astronomy, space exploration, galaxies)

How Fast Is the Universe Expanding?

Where Did the Moon Come From?

solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space

How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?

Arrangement of the phases of the moon in total eclipse with Blood Moon

9 Celestial Omens

1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.

6 Questions About the Sun Answered

Discover

A mug shot taken by the regional Colombia control agency in Medellin

Pablo Escobar: 8 Interesting Facts About the King of Cocaine

Timeline and Map of the Panama Canal

Stylish light blue jeans on wooden background, closeup of inset pocket

Why Do Jeans Have That Tiny Pocket?

Saint Lucia Day. Young girl wears Lucia crown (tinsel halo) with candles. Holds Saint Lucia Day currant laced saffron buns (lussekatter or Lucia's cats). Observed December 13 honor virgin martyr Santa Lucia (St. Lucy). Luciadagen, Christmas, Sweden

7 Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World

Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and autodidact.

6 Interesting Facts about Srinivasa Ramanujan

Ice Sledge Hockey, Hockey Canada Cup, USA (left) vs Canada, 2009. UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver, BC, competition site for Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey. Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver Olympics

10 Best Hockey Players of All Time

Giuseppe Piazzi

Italian astronomer

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Quick Facts

Born:: July 16, 1746, Ponte di Valtellina, Lombardy [Italy], Habsburg crown land

Died:: July 22, 1826, Naples (aged 80)

Subjects Of Study:: Ceres

See all related content

Giuseppe Piazzi (born July 16, 1746, Ponte di Valtellina, Lombardy [Italy], Habsburg crown land—died July 22, 1826, Naples) was an Italian astronomer who discovered (January 1, 1801) and named the first asteroid, or “minor planet,” Ceres.

Piazzi became a Theatine priest about 1764 and a professor of theology in Rome in 1779, and in 1780 he was appointed professor of higher mathematics at the Academy of Palermo. Later, with the aid of the viceroy of Sicily, he founded the Observatory of Palermo. There he produced his great catalog of the positions of 7,646 stars and demonstrated that most stars are in motion relative to the Sun. There also he discovered Ceres and the high proper motion of the important double star 61 Cygni.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.