Riccardo Giacconi is an Italian-American astrophysicist who is renowned for his pioneering contributions to the field of X-ray astronomy. Born on October 6, 1931, in Genoa, Italy, he is best known for his role in the development of X-ray telescopes and for the discovery of many astronomical X-ray sources. Giacconi's work significantly advanced the understanding of the universe beyond the optical spectrum.
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Riccardo Giacconi pioneered X-ray astronomy using instruments carried above Earth's absorbing atmosphere. His team's 1962 rocket flight found a strong source outside the Solar system, later known as Scorpius X-1, together with a diffuse X-ray background.[ref]
Evidence for x Rays From Sources Outside the Solar System by Riccardo Giacconi and others. pp. 439–443: rocket-counter observations and directional excess
His Nobel lecture traces the subsequent transition from brief rocket measurements to more sensitive surveys and imaging instruments. Increasing collecting area, observing duration and angular resolving power changed the questions that could be asked: sources could be located, separated and studied as physical systems.[ref]
The Dawn of X-Ray Astronomy by Riccardo Giacconi. Historical account of the first extrasolar X-ray source and development of X-ray observatories
Portrait of Riccardo Giacconi
. ESO; distributed through the International Astronomical Union, image ann18062a. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, as stated for this IAU-distributed image., via Wikimedia Commons. Source.