On this day: birth of astronomer priest Giovanni Battista Riccioli
On 17 April 1598, one of the most influential figures of 17th-century science, Giovanni Battista Riccioli, was born in Ferrara. A dedicated Jesuit priest and a meticulous astronomer, Riccioli’s legacy remains visible to anyone who looks at the night sky through a telescope. His nomenclature for lunar features is still the international standard used today.
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