Sormano Astronomical Observatory

Sormano Astronomical Observatory
Osservatorio Astronomico Sormano

Sormano Astronomical Observatory
Organization	Gruppo Astrofili Brianza
Code	587
Location	Sormano, Italy
Coordinates	45°53′02″N 9°13′49″E / 45.8839°N 9.2303°E / 45.8839; 9.2303Coordinates: 45°53′02″N 9°13′49″E / 45.8839°N 9.2303°E / 45.8839; 9.2303
Altitude	1,128 meters (3,701 ft)
Established	1986 (1986)
Website	www.osservatoriosormano.it
Telescopes
Cavagna Telescope 0.5 m Ritchey–Chrétien unnamed 0.172 m Maksutov telescope
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The Sormano Astronomical Observatory (Italian: Osservatorio Astronomico Sormano, IAU code: 587) is an astronomical observatory north of Milan, Italy. Located near the Swiss border at 1000 meters altitude at the mountain village of Sormano in the pre-Alps, the observatory was privately funded by the Gruppo Astrofili Brianza and built in 1986.

The observatory is known for its astrometric observations of minor planets and comets in the Solar System. After its first light in January 1989, several amateur astronomers such as Marco Cavagna, Valter Giuliani, Piero Sicoli, Pierangelo Ghezzi, Francesco Manca, Paolo Chiavenna, Graziano Ventre and Augusto Testa have made their minor planet discoveries at the observatory using its 50-centimeter "Cavagna Telescope", a Ritchey–Chrétien astrograph. Astronomers at Sormano have developed their own custom software to make follow-up observations of near-Earth objects such as 4179 Toutatis and 99942 Apophis.