G.V. Schiaparelli Observatory, Astronomical observatory at Campo dei Fiori mountain, Varese, Italy.
The G.V. Schiaparelli Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the Campo dei Fiori mountain near Varese, housing multiple telescopes for sky observations. The facility operates specialized equipment designed to track celestial objects and study comets and asteroids.
The amateur astronomy group founded by Salvatore Furia in 1956 became the Società Astronomica G. V. Schiaparelli on 5 February 1963, after Adele and Chang-Sai Vita donated fifty million lire and Sofia Stringer Zambeletti gave 100,000 m² of land. Construction of the observatory followed, and it opened in 1964 on Punta Paradiso, named after astronomer Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli. A botanical study centre was added in 1966 and an unheated experimental greenhouse in 1973.
The observatory plays a key role in sharing astronomical knowledge with the public through viewing programs and research activities. Visitors can experience the wonder of observing the sky and understand the work of scientists studying the cosmos.
The observatory sits at higher elevation and requires travel up the mountain, with access that can be affected by weather conditions. Visitors should check ahead to see if viewing sessions or tours are available, as these are often scheduled at specific times.
The 84 cm reflector in the Galileo dome, built between 2004 and 2006, is used for astrometry of near-Earth asteroids and comet hunting with an SBIG ST-10XME camera, and an echelle spectrograph at its Cassegrain focus monitors stars together with the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory.
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