Nationality French Institutions Paris Observatory Role Astronomer Grandparents Giovanni Domenico Cassini | Fields Cartography
Astronomy Name Cesar-Francois de Grandchildren Henri Cassini | |
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Born 17 June 1714
Thury-sous-Clermont, (Oise) ( 1714-06-17 ) Known for Topographical map of France Died September 4, 1784, Paris, France Children Dominique, comte de Cassini Parents Jacques Cassini, Suzanne Francoise Charpentier de Charmois Great-grandparents Julia Crovesi, Jacopo Cassini | ||
Cesar-Francois Cassini de Thury (17 June 1714 – 4 September 1784), also called Cassini III or Cassini de Thury, was a French astronomer and cartographer.
Biography
Cassini de Thury was born in Thury-sous-Clermont (Oise), the second son of Jacques Cassini and Suzanne Francoise Charpentier de Charmois. He was a grandson of Giovanni Domenico Cassini, and would become the father of Jean-Dominique Cassini, Comte de Cassini.
In 1735, he became a member of the French Academy of Sciences as a supernumerary adjunct astronomer, in 1741 as an adjunct astronomer, and in 1745 as a full member astronomer.
In January, 1751 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He succeeded to his father’s official position in 1756 and continued the hereditary surveying operations. In 1744, he began the construction of a great topographical map of France, one of the landmarks in the history of cartography. Completed by his son Jean-Dominique, Cassini IV and published by the Academie des Sciences from 1744 to 1793, its 180 plates are known as the Cassini map (fr).
The post of director of the Paris observatory was created for his benefit in 1771 when the establishment ceased to be a dependency of the French Academy of Sciences.
His chief works are: La meridienne de l’Observatoire Royal de Paris (1744), a correction of the Paris meridian; Description geometrique de la terre (1775); and Description geometrique de la France (1784), which was completed by his son ("Cassini IV").
Cesar-Francois Cassini de Thury died of smallpox in Paris on 4 September 1784,