Italian American Club Astronomy Nights—“Fly Me To The Moon!”

Melissa D’Onofrio

Italian American Club members were very fortunate to experience two fascinating astronomy events in November, hosted by club member Gene Fioretti. Gene’s passion for amateur astronomy began with Carl Sagan’s 1980 Cosmos series, and he has been increasing his knowledge of the night sky ever since. Gene, a retired interventional cardiologist and a talented singer and musician, is a fascinating, erudite man. His presentation skills are engaging, and he has a unique ability to turn complex science into relatable, fascinating stories.

On the first evening, Nov. 9, Gene provided interesting details and a slide show on Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon, a primer for actually viewing these objects on Nov. 28. Gene enlightened us about several significant astronomical contributions made by Italians centuries ago, and he explained the Roman origin of today’s names for the seven days of the week. We also learned about famous Italian Astronomer Galileo’s contributions to science.

Before Galileo’s discoveries, astronomers believed that the sun orbited the earth. Galileo was the first to espouse the theory that the earth orbits the sun. In response to this revelation, he was soundly chastised professionally and was banned from the Catholic Church for his beliefs and teachings.

Our second event on Nov. 28 was the grand finale. Attendees marveled at astonishing views of the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn through Gene’s powerful 22” Obsession Reflector Telescope, and were able to identify many of the amazing details Gene highlighted at our first meeting.

Italian American Club members wish to thank Gene for graciously sharing his time and extensive knowledge, and for instilling in us a greater appreciation and understanding of the mysteries of the Universe.

In the words of Frank Sinatra:

Fly me to the moon

Let me play among the stars

And let me see what spring is like

On Jupiter and Mars!