Astronomical observatory of Siena observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
On the university campus at Porta Romana in Siena, Italy, an astronomical observatory grew from an amateur society into a working research and teaching facility for the Università degli Studi di Siena.
About the observatory
The observatory was established in 2004 inside the Porta Romana University Campus, in a former psychiatric hospital building on Via Porta Romana. Its 3-metre diameter dome offers a surprisingly wide observable sector from east to west despite sitting close to the town centre.
History
The facility grew out of the first University Astronomical Observation Society, founded in the early 1990s by amateur astronomers in the Chianti countryside. It was upgraded and modernised between 2010 and 2012 with sponsorship from the Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena.
Telescopes & research
Research at the observatory focuses on asteroids, variable stars, exoplanets, and active galactic nuclei. It also serves as an educational facility for university and high school students, offering telescope observations and remote observation technology.
Location & getting there
The observatory is located at Via Porta Romana 56, in the south of Siena, Italy, in Tuscany.
Visiting the observatory
The observatory hosts events for students and the public; check the university's astronomical observatory page before travelling for current open nights and visiting arrangements.
See your named star from here
An observatory that tracks asteroids and exoplanets by their exact coordinates could, in principle, do the same for the position of any named star. If you name a star through Star Register, you'll receive its right ascension and declination — browse the catalogue to see how it's recorded.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
