| Authorised form of name | Cassini; Jacques (1677 - 1756); French astronomer |
| Dates | 1677 - 1756 |
| Nationality | French |
| Place of birth | Paris, Île-de-France, France, Europe |
| Date of birth | 18 February 1677 |
| Place of death | His estate of Thury, near Clermont, Oise, France |
| Date of death | 16 April 1756 |
| Research field | Astronomy |
| Geodesy |
| Activity | Education:
Began his studies in the family home; the Paris Observatoire; College Mazarin, Paris
Career:
Accompanied his father to Italy, collaborating with him on the restoration of the meridian at San Petronio, Bologna (1695); travelled to Flanders, Holland and England, making geodesic and astronomical observations; participated in his father's project to extend the Paris meridian to the South of France (1700-1701); succeeded his father as Manager of the Observatoire in Paris (1710-c1740); extended the Paris meridian to Dunkirk (1718); a Cartesian in the age of Newtonianism, Cassini abandoned his scientific activity (1740)
Memberships:
Academie Royale des Sciences (1694)
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 23/03/1698 |
| Age at election | 21 |
| Relationships | Parents: Jean Dominique Cassini (FRS 1672) and Genevieve Delaitre
Spouse: Suzanne Francoise Charpentier de Charmois
Children: Cesar Francois Cassini de Thury (FRS 1751)
Grandchildren: Jean Dominique Cassini (ForMem RS 1789) |
| OtherInfo | Compiled the first tables of the orbital motions of Saturn’s satellites. |
| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DSB; Biographie Universelle; NBG
References:
Jean Jacquot, 'Sir Hans Sloane and French Men of Science' in NR 1953 vol 10 pp 85-98
Notes:
DSB gives date of death as 15 April. |
| Code | NA5649 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| EL/G2/20 | Translation of letters, from Jean de la Grive and Jacques Cassini to Hans Sloane | 1734 |
| CLP/7ii/4 | Paper, 'A dissertation concerning the figure of the Earth' by J T [John Theophilus] Desaguliers | 1724 |
| EL/C1/85 | Letter, from Jacques Cassini to Hans Sloane, dated at Paris | 20 August 1700 |