1. A look back to Galileo by Giorgio Strano -- 2. The discovery of Ceres, a sort of “scientific comedy” by Ileana Chinnici -- 3. Schiaparelli’s studies about Mars, asteroids and shooting stars by Mario Carpino and Agnese Mandrino -- 4. Comet observers in Florence by Simone Bianchi, Daniele Galli and Antonella Gasperini -- 5. Angelo Secchi and planetary astronomy by Aldo Altamore, William Sheehan and Richard McKim -- 6. Transit of Venus 1874: an Italian expedition to Bengal by Giuseppe Massone -- 7. De Gasparis’ asteroids by Mauro Gargano -- 8. Catania Observatory and Eros parallax by Gianfranco Occhipinti -- 9. The last “Italian” asteroids by Giuseppe Massone -- 10. Pluto’s orbit: the Paduan contribution by Valeria Zanini and Simone Zaggia.

This book describes the most important contributions of Italian astronomers to the development of planetary astronomy during the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century. This journey through what may be regarded as the golden era of Italian astronomy commences with the discovery of Ceres, the first asteroid, now classified as a dwarf planet, and culminates in the role played by the Padua Observatory in calculating Pluto’s orbit in the 1930s. Along the way, a wealth of information is provided on the discovery of many comets and asteroids, early spectroscopic observations, drawings of planets and comets, calculations of orbits and ephemerides, and much more. The contributions of such famous figures as Giovanni Schiaparelli, Giovanni Battista Donati, Angelo Secchi, and Annibale De Gasparis are fully explained. Many of the described results are still of interest for modern astronomy, and the book appeals to a wide readership, including scholars, historians, astronomers, and the general public.