The historical dome of the Brera Astronomical Observatory houses the refracting telescope used by Schiaparelli to observe Mars, and from which sprang the controversy over the nature of the mysterious “canals”.
Schiaparelli graduated from the Polytechnic University of Turin, where he had as professors Quintino Sella, who later became Minister of Finances from 1862 to 1873, and Luigi Menabrea, future Prime Minister from 1867 to 1869. Through these top-quality connections, Schiaparelli, who had discovered the asteroid Hesperia in 1861 soon after his arrival at the Brera Observatory, requested and obtained from the government, in December 1862, a new and powerful (for its time) 22 cm refractor Merz telescope, that became operational in 1875. This was probably the first scientific instrument bought by the newly appointed government of the italian kingdom, months after the reunification of Italy.
At the time, he was interested in binary star systems, and selected this telescope, equipped with special micrometers, to accurately record the absolute and relative position of the stars (indeed he recorded over 10000 observations of more than 1000 systems in his diaries). However, Schiaparelli’s fame is mostly due to the serendipitous discovery of the unexpected characteristics of the martian surface, which he could see thanks to the high quality images that the telescope could obtain of the planet Mars, and that started his systematic study of its surface.
Soon it became evident that the telescope was no longer adequate, so Schiaparelli requested a larger and more powerful one. So in 1878 the Chamber of Deputies discussed a bill to purchase a new refractor for the Brera Astronomical Observatory. The bill passed, also on account of the scientific merit that Schiaparelli had acquired, as noted by Quintino Sella when he wrote to inform Schiaparelli personally that funds had been allocated for his project: “A token of the esteem the Deputies, and by extension the italian people, had for the astronomer.”
It is interesting to note that at the time Italy was going through an economic crisis and the government had just supported the infamous “grain tax” proposed by Sella himself; and yet the same government thought it worthwhile to support scientific research, in particular the research projects at the Brera Astronomical Observatory.
The 49 cm refractor was used in Brera from 1886 to 1936, and then was moved to the newly opened observing site in Merate, near Lecco, where the observing conditions were much better than in the city center. In the 1960s, due to the deteriorated air quality and light pollution, the telescope was no longer useful and was dismantled. Since 2017, it has been on display at the National Museum of science and Technology in Milano, remounted and fully restored.
Interview to Agnese Mandrino (Italian – no subtitles)
Information based on Di pane e di stelle – Brera Astronomical Observatory
