Jean Dominique Cassini (Cassini IV, 1748-1825)

Jean Dominique Cassini (Cassini IV, June 30, 1748 - October 18, 1825)

Jean Dominique Cassini (Cassini IV) was born in Paris on June 30, 1748 as the son of C.F. Cassini (Cassini III). At age 20, he participated in a voyage to study the behavious of chronometers built by Le Roy, on the frigata l'Enjouée (similar to Messier); he published the results in 1770. He worked with his father and published an account of the first 100 years of the Paris Observatory in 1771. After the death of his father in 1784, he succeeded him as director of the Paris Observatory. He continued and concluded the great survey initiated by his father in 1789.

During the French Revolution he was imprisoned as a royalist for 7.5 months and was lucky to escape guillotine. After his release he retired to his estate in Thury.

J.D. Cassini died in Thury-sous-Clermont near Beauvais on October 18, 1825.

References

Kenneth Glyn Jones, 1991. Messier's Nebulae and Star Clusters. 2nd ed, Cambridge University Press, pp. 316-7. [ADS: 1991mnsc.book.....J].
Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre, 1827. Histoire de l'Astronomie au dix-huitièmme siècle [History of Astronomy in the Eighteenth Century]. Bachelier (Successor of Mme. Ve. Courcier), Paris. P. xix, 309-313.

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