From Padua to Asiago
| When Giovanni Silva, in 1930's, was appointed Director of the Observatory of Padua, he worked on equipping the Paduan astronomical Institute with a large reflector telescope, necessary for research in modern astrophysics. At that time, the astrophysical studies began to have a predominant role in Europe and United States as regards to the classic astronomy. So far, the research activities at Specola Observatory were directed towards geodesy and theoretical astronomy. The main target of the astronomical observations was the determination of the position of stars, planets, or comets in order to calculate their orbital motions. Silva was the first astronomer in Padua involved in astrophysical works. He used the small Dembowski telescope (19 centimetres), for the photometric study of variable stars. To further develop astrophysics, Giovanni Silva decided to found the observational branch of Padua Observatory in the mountain, far from the light pollution of the city. |
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