Osservatorio Astronomico di Gnosca
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Near Bellinzona, in the Swiss canton of Ticino, the village of Gnosca is home to a small observatory that has produced an outsized number of asteroid discoveries.
About Osservatorio Astronomico di Gnosca
The Gnosca Observatory is owned and operated by amateur astronomer Stefano Sposetti and carries the international observatory code 143.
Telescopes and research
From Gnosca, Sposetti has discovered numerous minor planets over the years and continues active discovery work from the site, contributing amateur-led results to the wider study of asteroids.
Location and getting there
Gnosca sits near Bellinzona in Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton in southern Switzerland.
Visiting Osservatorio Astronomico di Gnosca
As a privately run amateur observatory, Gnosca does not have published general visiting hours; check locally or via the observatory's own website before planning a visit.
See your named star from here
Sposetti's work from Gnosca shows what a single dedicated observer can find with precise sky coordinates. Name a star with Star Register and get that same kind of coordinate data for your own star, viewable in our catalogue.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check the official website and Google Maps for current times before you travel.