2014/12/18 by A. H. Andrei, Andrei, Alexandre Humberto, Costantino Sigismondi +3
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Geophysics and Gravity Measurements #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #Impact of Light on Environment and Health #Popular Physics (physics.pop-ph) #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1412.6096
openalex publication_date 2014/12/18 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The great meridian line in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Rome was built in 1701/1702 with the scope of measuring the obliquity of the Earth's orbit in the following eight centuries, upon the will of Pope Clement XI. During the winter solstice of 1701 the first measurements of the obliquity were taken by Francesco Bianchini. He was the astronomer who designed the meridian line, upgrading the similar instrument realized by Giandomenico Cassini in San Petronio, Bononia. The accuracy of the data is discussed from the point of view of the use of the pinhole.