Astronomical observatory

Owned by the municipality of San Benedetto Po, the observatory is operated by the Associazione Astrofili Mantovani. Visits, on request, can be made either in daytime, with lessons on astronomy agreed with teachers, or in the evenings to observe the night sky through the telescope.

The observatory has a f/10-f/5 40 cm Cassegrain telescope and an 18 cm apochromatic f/9 parallel refractor. The telescope is computer controlled for the automatic tracking of celestial objects.

The instruments are housed in a motorised steel dome 5 metres in diameter, which allows viewing by fair-sized groups of observers in turn. With 50 seats, it is decorated with models and teaching instruments and has a permanent exhibition of photographs of heavenly bodies.