Marana observatory

Tucked into the hills above Crespadoro in Italy's Veneto region, Marana observatory - known locally as MarSEC, the Marana Space Explorer Center - is a public astronomy centre built by volunteer stargazers.

About Marana observatory

MarSEC grew out of "Cieli Perduti" (Lost Skies), an astronomy association founded in October 1999 by enthusiasts in nearby Valdagno. In 2004 the group relocated to its current site in Marana and took on the MarSEC name. The observatory carries the code B79 with the Unione Astrofili Italiani and is a member of the NASA Museum Alliance.

Telescopes & research

Visitors can look through a 320mm Ritchey-Chrétien telescope used for visual observation, while a second 360mm Ritchey-Chrétien fitted with a CCD camera and photometric filters supports research work. The site also runs a digital planetarium with a 6.5 metre dome seating 41 people, a 60-seat conference room, and a seismic monitoring station.

Location & getting there

Marana observatory sits above Crespadoro in the Province of Vicenza, in the hills of the Veneto region of northern Italy - a setting that keeps the surrounding skies reasonably dark for an area this close to the Venetian plain.

Visiting Marana observatory

MarSEC opens to the public for planetarium shows and telescope nights; check the observatory's own website before you travel to confirm the current schedule and booking details.

See your named star from here

Because every named star comes with precise coordinates, the volunteers at an observatory like MarSEC can help you locate exactly where your star sits in the sky. Name a star or browse the star catalogue to find one already registered.