25 marzo 2021: è il "Dantedì". Motivo? Secondo la maggior parte degli studiosi di Dante Alighieri, morto 700 anni fa, fu proprio il 25 marzo del 1300 che il sommo poeta iniziò il suo viaggio nella "selva oscura" che diede poi al mondo la Divina Commedia. L’astrofisico italiano Gianluca Masi, in vista di questo compleanno speciale, si è chiesto se esistesse un corpo celeste dedicato proprio a Dante. Dopo diverse ricerche sia sul web sia sui cataloghi astronomici internazionali, si è imbattuto nell’asteroide 2999.
L’asteroide è stato avvistato quarant’anni fa, esattamente il 6 febbraio 1981, dall’astronomo statunitense Norman G. Thomas, del Lowell Observatory in Arizona, che volle battezzarlo con il nome di Dante Alighieri in onore del “più grande tra i poeti italiani”.
La curiosità e la voglia di condividere questa inedita informazione ha spinto l’astrofisico a tentarne l’avvistamento in cielo. Così, lo scorso 2 febbraio, i suoi telescopi hanno scovato l’asteroide Dante all’interno della costellazione dei Pesci. L’asteroide (2999) Dante ha un diametro di circa 7 km e si colloca nella regione del sistema solare compresa tra Marte e Giove. Nel catalogo dei corpi celesti identificati e numerati presso il Minor Planet Center, Masi ha inoltre ritrovato due asteroidi di altri illustri italiani: il 3000 dedicato a Leonardo e 3001 a Michelangelo.
Dario Lo Scalzo
L'erede di Dante Alighieri
Telegiornale 24.03.2021, 20:00
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