Kolleverde di Gvidoniya observatory

Near Guidonia Montecelio, just outside Rome, Kolleverde di Gvidoniya observatory watched Italian skies for over two decades, once serving as a private base for asteroid hunting.

About Kolleverde di Gvidoniya observatory

Kolleverde di Gvidoniya observatory was a private astronomical facility in Guidonia Montecelio, in Italy's Lazio region, recognised by the Minor Planet Center under observatory code 596 for its contributions to asteroid astrometry.

History

The observatory was founded in 1981 by Italian astronomer Vincenzo Silvano Casulli, an asteroid discoverer who used the site to search for and track minor planets. It operated privately for more than twenty years before ceasing operations in 2003.

Location & getting there

The site sits at around 120 metres above sea level in Guidonia Montecelio, a town in the Lazio region east of Rome, Italy. Its position on the outskirts of the capital once offered a reasonably dark, accessible sky for amateur observing.

Visiting Kolleverde di Gvidoniya observatory

As a private facility that closed in 2003, Kolleverde di Gvidoniya observatory is not known to be open to the public today. Anyone curious about the site's current status should check locally, since historic amateur observatories like this one are rarely staffed for tours.

See your named star from here

Even though the original observatory has closed, the idea behind it endures: a telescope pointed at the right coordinates can pick out a single star from the crowd. Name a star through Star Register and you'll receive its exact right ascension and declination, ready to find with any telescope. Browse the star catalogue to see how it works.