In the night between last Tuesday and Wednesday, our friend and colleague Francesco Palla suddenly passed away.
His sudden death, following an illness, occurred in Switzerland, where he was attending the Council of the European Astronomical Society.
Born and educated in Rome, Francesco was known to everyone as the ‘Arcetrino’: after graduating from La Sapienza and conducting research at the Department of Astronomy at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, he moved to the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory in Florence, even becoming its director from 2005 to 2011.
A distinguished astronomer, an authoritative researcher in the field of the origin and evolution of stars and planetary systems in our Galaxy and the primordial universe, and an excellent teacher (he taught the course on the Interstellar Medium at the University of Florence and authored one of the most important university texts on star formation), Francesco was also well-known for his intense outreach and educational activities aimed at the general public and schools.
“The unexpected passing of Francesco Palla leaves us all devastated and incredulous,” says Nicolò D’Amico, president of INAF. “A scientist and man of great depth, Francesco was always an authoritative reference for all of us. His talents, intelligence, and character are unforgettable to us.”
The INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari remembers him as always smiling and courteous, as he shared with us the fascinating story of Einstein’s piano last November, between one competition commission and another.