The Astronomical Observatory
The astronomical Observatory is open to the public on the evenings organized by the Monte Generoso Railway or for private groups upon request.
The Gruppo Insubrico di Astronomia (GIA) is pleased to make available its experts for the evening tours.
Observatory
Main instrument
- Reflecting Ritchey-Chretien telescope, diameter: 61 cm, focal length: 5 m
- Sun telescope LUNT LS152TH alpha
Secondary instruments
- Searching telescope, diameter: 105 mm, F/D = 6
- Maksutov wide-field camera, diameter: 250 mm, F/D = 3
- Takahashi fluorite apochromatic reflecting telescope, diameter: 152 mm, focal length: 1,216 mm, F/D = 8, connected in parallel with the main instrument
Auxiliary instruments
- Series of 3 H-alpha filters for the observation of sunspots and
perturbations of the sun
- Meade LX200 8-inch telescope, F/D = 10
- Meade LX200 12-inch telescope, F/D = 10, with an Altazimouth
tripod and support features a computerised pointing system
- CCD camera with a Thomson sensor, 512x512 pixels, 16-bit resolution
- Computer for the control of the telescopes and the storage of data and images
- Eyepiece equipment and accessories for all the telescopes
Let us observe the sun with the new telescope LUNT LS152TH alpha
With the new public telescope Lunt LS152, one of the most modern and powerful public telescopes in Switzerland, it is possible to observe the sun and all the phenomena associated with its activity in the daytime.
Thanks to a special filter, it is possible to almost completely eliminate the light that comes from the sun’s surface, thus going beyond it in order to observe the solar spots and all the linked eruptions and explosions that look like bursts of incandescent material, which can vary in height to as much as several thousand kilometres. Such phenomena are both numerous and very intensive and expected to increase with time. The sun’s activity has, in fact, progressively increased in recent times.
Price for private groups
CHF 190.00 for a group up to ca. 30 people