Antonio and Giorgio Abetti

Antonio (1846-1928) and Giorgio Abetti (1882-1982) were directors of the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory for nearly seventy years ( 1893 to 1953) leaving an indeliable mark on italian astronomical research.

Antonio Abetti's specialization was positional astronomy, he also observed minor planets, comets, stellar occultations and partial solar eclipsy. In 1874 he participated in the Italian expedition directed by Pietro Tacchini in Muddapur (Bengala) to observe the transit of Venus on solar disk. He built astronomical instruments such the Amici Equatorial and the small Bamberg Meridian, but above all, he gave new life to the Arcetri Observatory following the death of Tempel.

From the beginning, the scientific activities of Giorgio Abetti were noted for his international collaborations. After passing a period in Germany, he went to the United States where he met George Hale. His collaboration and friendship with Hale lasted a lifetime. In 1913 Giorgio Abetti took part as geodetic and geophysical astronomer in the De Filippi Expedition in Karakorum, Himalaya and Chinese and Russian Turkestan. During 1921 Giorgio Abetti started to think about constructing a solar tower on the Arcetri hill side. The model was to be like the one on Mount Wilson projected by George Hallery Hale.
Thanks to Hale's collaboration, the construction of the solar tower started in 1923 and was completed in 1925, the same year that Giorgio Abetti was appointed director of the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory. From here onwards solar observations were carried out over a ten year period.
In 1929 Giorgio Abetti was the author of the section of the Handbuch der Astrophysik on solar physics. He held many national and international academic positions and during his long life he never stopped being interested in solar and non solar (planetary and galactic physics) research.

A complete italian bibliography of Antonio and Giorgio Abetti's publications is conserved in the Archive of the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory.