Giuseppe Piazzi was an Italian astronomer born on July 16, 1746, in Ponte in Valtellina. He is best known for discovering the first asteroid, named Ceres, on January 1, 1801. Piazzi's work significantly advanced the field of astronomy, as Ceres was later classified as a dwarf planet. In addition to his discovery of Ceres, Piazzi was the founder of the Palermo Astronomical Observatory in Sicily. He made important contributions to the study of star catalogs and celestial mechanics. Piazzi passed away on July 22, 1826, leaving a lasting legacy in the scientific community.