Giuseppe Piazzi

Giuseppe Piazzi was an Italian astronomer born in 1746 who is best known for discovering the dwarf planet Ceres in 1801, marking the first such object identified in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. His work helped expand our understanding of the solar system's small celestial bodies. Piazzi also made significant contributions to star cataloging and navigation. His discovery of Ceres was groundbreaking, challenging existing ideas about planets and leading to the recognition of many other small objects in space. He is remembered as a pioneering figure in astronomy and planetary science.