When Giovanni Domenico Cassini became blind in 1710 (he died two
years later), his son Jacques took charge of the Paris
Observatory. Indeed, the Cassinis were destined to become one of
the most remarkable astronomical families in history. Jacques
(Cassini II) was succeeded by his son, César-François Cassini,
who is also known as Cassini de Thury (Cassini III), who in turn
was succeeded by his son, Jacques Dominique Cassini (Cassini
IV). In politics, the family remained strongly royalist in its
sympathies, and Cassini IV was finally forced to resign in 1793,
during the height of the French Revolution. Among the other
worthies in this illustrious family's tree was the elder
Cassini's nephew, Giacomo Filippo Maraldi (born in 1665), who
became an assistant at the Paris Observatory. Although
overshadowed by the fame of his brilliant uncle, Maraldi was a
competent astronomer in his own right; his work included the
compilation of a star catalog and the calculation of cometary
orbits. But he will always be best remem