Oh cool, in May I will be going back to one of my favourite (former) astronomical observatories, La Specola in Padua/Padova.
Thread of pics & info from last time: https://aus.social/@spacelizard/113357480334568703
Aus.SocialAnthony Horton (@spacelizard@aus.social)Attached: 1 image
There are many noteworthy buildings in Padova/Padua, but this is the one that I'm here for: La Specola.
Originally build as a defensive tower in the 9th century, it became a prison in the 13th century, part of a new castle in the 14th, a warehouse in the 16th and then finally, in 1761, it was decided to convert it into an astronomical observatory. As this was an astronomical instrumentation project it ended up behind schedule and over budget, but by 1777 it was a working observatory, which it remained until the 1930s.
Now the buildings on the site are used by a museum and INAF's Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova. It's our INAF colleagues that have invited us here for the MAVIS systems engineering and MAIT planning workshop, at La Specola.
https://www.unipd.it/en/specola
#Astrodon #Astronomy #Observatory
, the longest in the world at the time.
New video on my 
... it's snow laughing matter, but at least it's nothing Sirius.