Asiago’s Astrophysical Observatory, run by the University of Padua, houses two major telescopes. The 122-cm-diametre telescope at the Observatory Pennar was once the largest in Europe and the first one used in Asiago.
The observatory was opened in 1942 on the third centenary of Galileo Galilei’s death. The observatory on Mount Ekar houses a 182-cm-diametre telescope, the largest in Italy. Thanks to the modern equipment, the observatory became an important research centre, where studies on astrophysics are carried out.
Although this site was chosen for the specific climate conditions of highlands - clear skies and absence of haze and dust - astronomers are currently dealing with the problem of light pollution, caused by increasing amount of lights due to the city development. The observatories have already made several important discoveries, including the Barbon comet and two Maffei galaxies.
For further information, send an email visite.asiago.dfa@unipd.it!
