Astronomical Observatory

In a single structure, a new ultra-modern 3D planetarium that can accommodate up to 40 people comfortably seated and in full safety; the Cosmonaut Museum, unique in South Italy, the Astronomical Observatory, equipped with a powerful telescope that allows to observe the Salento beautiful starry sky.

The Casarano A. S.L. A. Astronomical Association "San Lorenzo" is a cultural association that groups "amateurs", people who share a unique and great passion: that for Astronomy.

Led by Giuseppe De Filippi, president and founder of the association, we joined, in 2008,  the UAI Italian Union of Amateur Astronomers (body recognized by the Ministry of Education and the University and Research) and "Cielo Buio" (Association that has been working since 1997 for the preservation of the night sky through campaigns to raise awareness of light pollution).

The ultra-modern Digital Planetarium

It is not the traditional projection machine only capable of projecting into the dome the starry vault, making it very limited in its use, but what we offer to our visitors and the Schools is a special system of high-tech computerized digital video projection, aimed to an exceptionally realistic simulation and reproduction  of wide-fields effects and animation (almost exactly 170° as it is shown the horizon to the human eye), within our inflatable dome of 5.5 meters in diameter capable to accommodate up to 40 pupils or visitors comfortably and safely sitting, as it is certified as a "class one" fire (as under the current safety regulations).

The Digital Planetarium  not only allows you to use the best and realistic software at high-resolution of stellar simulation (capable of showing the Sky of any geographical location, in different times but also zooming over the individual constellations, all the celestial objects like the Moon, Planets, Nebulae, star clusters, double stars), but also offers the possibility of video-projecting spectacular and exclusive astronomical "spherical" movies (dome video), specially developed for entertainment and educational purposes.

The new Astronomical Observatory, a dome of 2.30 meters in diameter, houses inside the Schmidt-Cassegrain 280 mm, as well as a camera for astrophotography, a high-resolution webcam and a computer with a stellar simulation software.

The old and the first observatory was a square structure of about 6 meters, which was also a small teaching room (with a capacity of 15 people): it was a little gem made entirely out of wood by the artisan Antonio De Filippi and it used to house inside a rich learning material and a Newton reflector with 305 mm Dobsonian mount.