Alessandro Serpieri
Encyclopedia
Alessandro Serpieri was an Italian scientist known for work in astronomy and seismology.
, of which the distinguished Latin scholar, Father Angelo Bonuccelli, was the rector
. He entered their novitiate
in Florence
, 30 Nov., 1838. From 1840-43 he studied philosophy and the exact sciences at the Ximenian College and observatory, whose rector, the astronomer and geodete, Father Giovanni Inghirami
, was at the same time professor of higher mathematics. Serpieri was only twenty years old when he was appointed instructor in mathematics and philosophy at the college of Siena
.
In Nov., 1846, his superior appointed him professor of philosophy and physics at the college of Urbino, while two months later the Papal Government called him also to the chair of physics in the university of the same city. On 27 Aug., 1848, he was ordained priest, and in Nov., 1857, he became rector of the college. He continued in this position and acted at the same time as professor until 1884, when the municipal authorities notified him of the impending secularization of education, both in the primary schools and in the colleges, inviting him however to remain as professor. This caused him and his colleagues to give up their positions at the college. Appointed to the rectorship of the Collegio della Badia Fiesolana, he died in the following year after a short illness.
(hence "Perseids", Ann. di Tortolino, 1850). In the same year he established an observatory at Urbino, and thereafter published regularly in his monthly bulletin the results of his meteoric observations. These were of assistance to Schiaparelli
in the formulation of his theory on the shooting stars.
Serpieri himself expressed some views on this subject in his bulletin in 1867. Urged by Father Angelo Secchi
, he went to Reggio Calabria
to observe the total eclipse of the sun in 1870, and to ascertain with exactness the northern limit of the zone of totality. The coronal streamers of the sun observable during the eclipse he declared to be sun auroras caused by the electrical influence of the earth and other planets on the sun (Rendic, Ist. Lomb., 1871). When Schiaparelli called his attention to the work of the American, George Jones, comprising 328 drawings of the Zodiacal light
as observed at different times and from different places (published at Washington at the expense of the Government), he at once submitted it to analysis. This led him to his theory, in which he explains this phenomenon as light of the earth produced and maintained in the atmosphere by special solar radiations (La luce zodiacale studiata nelle osserv. di. G. Jones, 138 pp. in "Mem. Soc. Spettr. Ital.", 1876–81). The asteroid 70745 Aleserpieri was named after him.
is his study on the earthquake of 17 and 18 March 1875, which caused great devastation in his home city and in other places. He also wrote two memoranda on the 1883 earthquake in Casamicciola. His complete seismological studies, for which he received the gold medal at the General Italian Exposition in Turin
(1884), were republished in 1889 by P. G. Giovanozzi.
Early life
His early education was received in Rimini from the brothers Speranza, priests. His classical studies he made at the College of the Scolopians in UrbinoUrbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
, of which the distinguished Latin scholar, Father Angelo Bonuccelli, was the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. He entered their novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, 30 Nov., 1838. From 1840-43 he studied philosophy and the exact sciences at the Ximenian College and observatory, whose rector, the astronomer and geodete, Father Giovanni Inghirami
Giovanni Inghirami
Giovanni Inghirami was an Italian astronomer, and a Piarist religious. There is a valley on the moon named after him as well as a crater.-Life:...
, was at the same time professor of higher mathematics. Serpieri was only twenty years old when he was appointed instructor in mathematics and philosophy at the college of Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
.
In Nov., 1846, his superior appointed him professor of philosophy and physics at the college of Urbino, while two months later the Papal Government called him also to the chair of physics in the university of the same city. On 27 Aug., 1848, he was ordained priest, and in Nov., 1857, he became rector of the college. He continued in this position and acted at the same time as professor until 1884, when the municipal authorities notified him of the impending secularization of education, both in the primary schools and in the colleges, inviting him however to remain as professor. This caused him and his colleagues to give up their positions at the college. Appointed to the rectorship of the Collegio della Badia Fiesolana, he died in the following year after a short illness.
Astronomy
Serpieri's chief merits as an astronomer lay in the observation of shooting stars. His first treatise on this subject dates from 1847 in the Annali di fisica e chimica of Maiocchi. In August, 1850, he discovered that the August meteors originate in a radiant not far removed from Gamma PerseiGamma Persei
Gamma Persei is a Class G8III, third-magnitude star in the constellation Perseus. Gamma Persei is actually a multiple star system consisting of two main components: a yellow giant star of class G8 and a magnitude of 2.91, and a lesser white companion of class A2V and a magnitude of 3.00...
(hence "Perseids", Ann. di Tortolino, 1850). In the same year he established an observatory at Urbino, and thereafter published regularly in his monthly bulletin the results of his meteoric observations. These were of assistance to Schiaparelli
Giovanni Schiaparelli
Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli was an Italian astronomer and science historian. He studied at the University of Turin and Berlin Observatory. In 1859-1860 he worked in Pulkovo Observatory and then worked for over forty years at Brera Observatory...
in the formulation of his theory on the shooting stars.
Serpieri himself expressed some views on this subject in his bulletin in 1867. Urged by Father Angelo Secchi
Angelo Secchi
-External links:...
, he went to Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
to observe the total eclipse of the sun in 1870, and to ascertain with exactness the northern limit of the zone of totality. The coronal streamers of the sun observable during the eclipse he declared to be sun auroras caused by the electrical influence of the earth and other planets on the sun (Rendic, Ist. Lomb., 1871). When Schiaparelli called his attention to the work of the American, George Jones, comprising 328 drawings of the Zodiacal light
Zodiacal light
Zodiacal light is a faint, roughly triangular, whitish glow seen in the night sky which appears to extend up from the vicinity of the sun along the ecliptic or zodiac. Caused by sunlight scattered by space dust in the zodiacal cloud, it is so faint that either moonlight or light pollution renders...
as observed at different times and from different places (published at Washington at the expense of the Government), he at once submitted it to analysis. This led him to his theory, in which he explains this phenomenon as light of the earth produced and maintained in the atmosphere by special solar radiations (La luce zodiacale studiata nelle osserv. di. G. Jones, 138 pp. in "Mem. Soc. Spettr. Ital.", 1876–81). The asteroid 70745 Aleserpieri was named after him.
Seismology
In his study of the earthquake of 12 March 1873, he was the first to introduce the concept of the seismic radiant. The so-called premonition on the part of animals he explained by the hypothesis of a preceding electrical disturbance. His magnum opusMasterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
is his study on the earthquake of 17 and 18 March 1875, which caused great devastation in his home city and in other places. He also wrote two memoranda on the 1883 earthquake in Casamicciola. His complete seismological studies, for which he received the gold medal at the General Italian Exposition in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
(1884), were republished in 1889 by P. G. Giovanozzi.
Published works
- a study on the Foucault pendulumFoucault pendulumThe Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
(Ann. Tortolini, 1851); - a treatise on the simultaneous transmission of opposing electric currents in the same wire (Corr. sc. di Roma, 1855)
- a lecture on the unity of natural forces (La forza e le sue trasformazioni, 1868).
- a work on Electric potentialElectric potentialIn classical electromagnetism, the electric potential at a point within a defined space is equal to the electric potential energy at that location divided by the charge there...
(Il potentziale elettrico, 171 pp., Milan, 1882) - his last work, on absolute measures ("Le misure assolute", etc., Milan, 1884)
External links
- S. Santini, Montefeltro seismicity: from Serpieri's seismograph to the RSNC seismograph station, Annals of Geophysics, June 2000