Eustachio Manfredi | |
|---|---|
 Eustachio Manfredi in an engraving dated 1792 byFrancesco Rosaspina | |
| Born | (1674-09-20)20 September 1674 |
| Died | 15 February 1739(1739-02-15) (aged 64) |
| Occupation(s) | Mathematician astronomer poet |
| Known for | Aberration of light |
| Parent(s) | Alfonso Manfredi and Anna Maria Manfredi (née Fiorini) |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Bologna |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Astronomy, Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Bologna |
| Notes | |
He is the brother ofGabriele Manfredi. | |
Eustachio ManfrediFRS (20 September 1674 – 15 February 1739) was an Italianmathematician,astronomer andpoet. Manfredi discovered, ten years earlier thanJames Bradley, the phenomenon ofaberration.[1][2]
Eustachio Manfredi was born inBologna on 20 September 1674. He attended Jesuit school, then studied at theUniversity of Bologna, graduating with a degree in law in 1691. At the same time he devoted himself to scientific studies in mathematics and astronomy, and to literature.
Manfredi founded theAccademia degli Inquieti (Academy of Restless) in Bologna around 1690 as a place where scientific topics could be discussed. At first, the Academy held its meetings in Manfredi's house. After four years it moved toJacopo Sandri's house, which had more space, and in 1705 moved again to the palazzo of ConteLuigi Ferdinando Marsigli. TheAccademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna was formally inaugurated in 1714, and theAccademia degli Inquieti merged into it.[3]
In 1698 Manfredi obtained the chair of mathematics at the University of Bologna. In 1704 he was named "Superintendent of the waters of Bologna", and was also made head of the college of Montalto, which educated young men destined for a clerical career. In 1711 he became director of the Astronomical Observatory of Bologna, a position he held until his death. He was a member of theFrench Academy of Sciences in Paris from 1726 and of theRoyal Society of London from 1729.[4] He died in Bologna on 15 February 1739.[5]
Manfredi's scientific work was impressive. On 29 November 1707 Manfredi andVittorio Francesco Stancari discovered the cometC/1707 W1.[6] Among his scientific works areEphemerides motuum coelestium (1715–1725), which he completed with the help of his sistersMaddalena and Teresa;De transitu Mercurii per solem anno 1723 (1724),De gnomone meridiano bononiensi (1736) andInstituzioni astronomiche (1749), a posthumous work.
The asteroid13225 Manfredi was named in honour of Eustachio Manfredi and his two brothersGabriele Manfredi and Eraclito Manfredi.[7] In 1719 Manfredi discovered, ten years earlier thanJames Bradley, the phenomenon ofaberration.[1][8] "The phenomenon is still known as the annual aberration of fixed stars, the name Manfredi gave it in the title ofDe annuis inerrantium stellarum aberrationibus (1729)."[1][9]
The discovery provided "the first demonstration, though unsought, of the revolution of the Earth around the Sun, and thus the reality of a heliocentric system".[10] As a result of this discovery, the Church admitted the scientific nature of Copernican system and removed from the index many works ofGalileo Galilei.
Manfredi was also a well known poet in his day. He was a member of theAcademy of Arcadia with the name of "Aci Delpusiano".[11] TheRime of Manfredi was issued in 1713 and then published in the final edition posthumously in 1748 by his friendGiampietro Zanotti. It is generally about events of the period (births, marriages, deaths, etc.), according to the peculiar character of the Arcadian poetry, and is often weighed down by emphasis and intellectualism. His poetic vein shows itself in a group of poems called "for a nun," inspired by the closure of the convent of Giulia Caterina Vandi, a girl of Bologna with whom Manfredi had fallen in love. This group includes the song "Woman, they are your eyes", considered his masterpiece, and numerous sonnets in the style ofPetrarch.
Citations
Manfredi described the apparent motions he had detected as "aberrations." Bradley adopted this term and the name stuck.
Sources
Further reading
External links
Media related toEustachio Manfredi at Wikimedia Commons