Cassini’s Swan Dive & Cassini the Swan
Giovanni Domenico Cassini (8 June 1625–14 September 1712) was an Italian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and engineer. Cassini was born in Perinaldo, near Imperia, at that time in the County of Nice, part of the Duchy of Savoy. Cassini is known for his work in the fields of astronomy and engineering. Cassini discovered four satellites of the planet Saturn and noted the division of the rings of Saturn; the Cassini Division was named after him. Giovanni Domenico Cassini was also the first of his family to begin work on the project of creating a topographic map of France. The Cassini spaceprobe, launched in 1997, was named after him and became the fourth to visit Saturn and the first to orbit the planet.
Wikipedia
In September it will make its swan dive into Saturn.
A few days ago I received a postcard, a 1929 vintage view of Nice, from my friend ballerina/choreographer Sandrine Cassini. That Sandrine happens to be called Cassini and is originally from Nice is no coincidence as she is indeed a descendant of Giovanni Domenico Cassini.
Originally published at blog.alexwaterhousehayward.com.
