Since its founding in 1891, many people have passed through the doors of the Vatican Observatory. A quick perusal of our guestbook reveals several Names, including Popes, Nobel laureates, astronauts, actors, and saints. Today’s guestbook entry is from January 15, 1925, when Luigi Carnera made a visit.
Luigi Carnera (1875-1962) [Source: Historia de la Astronomia Argentina y Latinoamericana]Next to his name, Luigi Carnera (1875-1962) wrote, “Trieste – R. Osservatorio astronomico”
He was accompanied on the visit by Vincenzo Cerulli, Azeglio Bemporad, and Emilio Bianchi, all of whom made at least one previous visit. [Note: Curiously, Bianchi was the first person to sign the book after a gap between 1915-1920. Here, he is the last person to sign the book before another mysterious gap between 1925 and 1934.]
Carnera was the director of the Trieste Observatory from 1919 until 1932. He then was named director of the Capodimonte Observatory, a post he held until 1950.
Much of Carnera’s astronomical involved the discovery of asteroids. He discovered 16 of them.
The asteroid 39653 Carnera is named for him.
