Jean-Dominique Cassini (1625-1712) played a central a role in the discoveries of his time. The choice of his name for the Cassini-Huygens space mission is witness to the lasting influence he has had on astronomy. Close to royalty, he was in fact a brilliant and innovative astronomer: his work has enriched a good number of other scientific disciplines of his time, and he has played a determining role in the history of the Observatoire de Paris.
That is the reason why, to mark the tercentenary of his death, our establishment has paid him tribute through this exhibition. In the two rooms on the first floor, the public will discover Cassini’s achievements; of particular note is his research in astronomy, and his geodetic and cartographic activities, illustrated by a number of exceptional historical documents, such as his 1679 map of the Moon, his drawings of the Moon, and abbé Picard’s "Mesure de la Terre". In the Cassini Room, the second part of the exhibition highlights his lasting influence on the future, incarnated in activities as different as the Cassini-Huygens mission and the «Histoptique» project. It also spotlights two of Cassini’s favourite instruments: the Paris meridian and the famous "tubeless refractors" with which he was able to observe Saturn.
