Piazzi

Piazzi is an Italian surname. The name is most prominently associated with Giuseppe Piazzi (1746–1826), an Italian Catholic priest, mathematician, and astronomer who directed the Palermo Observatory. Piazzi is best known for discovering the first asteroid, Ceres, in January 1801 during routine observations at Palermo. The object was found to move in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter and was subsequently named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres.

Piazzi’s discovery played a pivotal role in the early history of planetary science by revealing a new class of small bodies in the solar system, later understood to comprise a belt of many such objects between Mars and Jupiter. After the initial discovery, Ceres was observed by other astronomers, leading to refinements of its orbit and the recognition that the solar system contains numerous minor planets in addition to the classical planets. Piazzi continued to contribute to astronomy through precise measurements and cataloging efforts, helping to advance celestial navigation and astrometry in his era.

The legacy of Piazzi in astronomy is primarily tied to the asteroid's discovery and the subsequent expansion of knowledge about minor planets. The name Piazzi appears in scientific credit for early 19th-century observational work, and Giuseppe Piazzi remains the most enduring figure associated with the surname.