The A.O.A. Ogliastrina Association of Astronomy was born from the eagerness of a group of enthusiasts to share, divulge and raise awareness of astronomy in Ogliastra, a geographical area including about twenty municipalities. In 1986 on the occasion of the last passage of Halley's Comet, a couple of friends built a modest telescope and gathered around themselves a group of interested onlookers.

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For info and reservations please call +39 380 - 3688198    astroaoa@tiscali.it

Open every Monday and Friday except holidays.   Loc. Monte Armidda    Visits by reservation!

The interest lasted far longer than the comet’s tail and led to the founding of the AOA in 1989, and to the building of a telescope designed by Ferdinand Caliumi, significantly larger and more sophisticated than the previous one: a Newton-Cassegrain, 400mm in diameter and focal length 1800/7200mm.

The new instrument was housed three years later in an astronomical observatory specifically built by the municipality of Lanusei on Mount Armidda, about 10km from the town. Over the years, the equipment has been enriched: the technical details and a complete description can be found in the section "The Equipment". In the twenty years since the opening of the Observatory "F.Caliumi" to the public, tens of thousands of people from Ogliastra, tourists, and Sardinian students have looked through the telescopes of the Association, felt awe and wonder in observing the most prominent celestial objects, and experienced the magic of a dark night through the open-air observations.

For many years the structure of Monte Armidda has been a reference-point throughout the island for its uniqueness and continued openness to the public. Information on how to book a visit and a short summary of the program of the public evenings can be found on the page "visit the Observatory." The qualities of our sky, the clearness of the air and the almost total absence of light pollution are a great attraction for a specialized tourism, reason for pride on behalf of the AOA whose members do their best to promote the awareness and the protection of what is often called the other half of the landscape: the night. Although nearly all the activities of AOA take place at the Observatory "F.Caliumi", the Association also organizes evening observations in other sites and lectures at the planetarium of the High School of Lanusei. Further information on the activities of the A.O.A. and how to join the Association can be found on the page "Our Activities".