Giovanni Domenico Cassini

Giovanni Domenico Cassini, also known as Jean-Dominique Cassini (8 June 1625 – 14 September 1712) was an Italian (naturalised French) mathematician, astronomer and engineer. Cassini was born in Perinaldo, near Imperia, at that time in the County of Nice, part of the Savoyard state. Cassini is known for his work on astronomy and engineering. He 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.

This article is about the Italian-born astronomer. For his French-born great-grandson, see Dominique, comte de Cassini. For his French-born grandson, see César-François Cassini de Thury.

Giovanni Domenico Cassini
Born(1625-06-08)8 June 1625
Perinaldo, Republic of Genova
Died14 September 1712(1712-09-14) (aged 87)
Paris, France
NationalityItalian, French
Alma materThe Jesuit College at Genoa
Known forCassini Division
Cassini identity
Cassini's laws
Cassini oval
First to observe the division in the rings of Saturn
ChildrenJacques Cassini
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics, astrology astronomy, engineering
InstitutionsUniversity of Bologna
Signature

The Cassini space probe, launched in 1997, was named after him and became the fourth to visit the planet Saturn and the first to orbit the planet.

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