Montarrenti observatory
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics
Near Siena in Tuscany, the Montarrenti observatory is a working research station whose 0.53-metre telescope has helped track gamma-ray burst afterglows and hunt for distant supernovae.
About Montarrenti Observatory
The observatory is located in Sovicille, in the province of Siena, about 20 kilometres from the city itself, and carries the IAU observatory code C88. Simone Leonini leads its participation in the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration.
Telescopes & research
Montarrenti is equipped with a 0.53-metre Ritchey-Chrétien telescope at f/8.7 on a fork equatorial mount, paired with a U47 detector. The observatory is part of the Italian Supernovae Search Project (ISSP), and its work includes monitoring gamma-ray burst afterglows and supernova searches, contributing data to international astronomical collaborations.
Location & getting there
The observatory sits in Sovicille, in Tuscany's province of Siena, roughly 20 kilometres from the historic city of Siena itself.
Visiting Montarrenti Observatory
As a research-focused facility, Montarrenti observatory's public access can be limited. Check locally or contact the observatory directly for current visiting arrangements.
See your named star from here
An observatory built to track faint, fast-changing events in the sky has the precision to find a single named star too. Explore our star-naming packages or browse the catalogue of stars already named through Star Register.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
