View source for Sormano Astronomical Observatory

{{Infobox observatory
|name            = Sormano Astronomical Observatory<br />''Osservatorio Astronomico Sormano''
|background      = 
|image           = OsservatorioAstronomicoSormano.jpg
|image_width     = 300px
|caption         = Sormano Astronomical Observatory
|organization    = Gruppo Astrofili Brianza
|location        = [[Sormano]], Italy
|coords          = 
|altitude        = {{Convert|1128|m|ft|sp=us}}
|weather         = 
|established     = {{Start date|1986}}
|closed          = 
|website         = {{URL|http://www.brera.mi.astro.it/sormano/|Osservatorio A. Sormano}}
|telescope1_name = Cavagna Telescope
|telescope1_type = 0.5 m [[Ritchey–Chrétien]]
|telescope2_name = {{nobold|unnamed}}
|telescope2_type = 0.172 m [[Maksutov telescope]]
}}

The '''Sormano Astronomical Observatory''' ({{langx|it|'''Osservatorio Astronomico Sormano'''}}, [[List of observatory codes|obs. code]]: [[IAU code#587|587]]) is an [[astronomical observatory]] north of [[Milan]], Italy. Located near the Swiss border at 1000 meters elevation at the mountain village of [[Sormano]] in the pre-Alps, the observatory was privately funded by the ''Gruppo Astrofili Brianza'' and built in 1986.<ref name="MPC-Sormano" />

== Description ==

The observatory is known for its [[astrometric]] observations of [[minor planet]]s and [[comet]]s in the [[Solar System]].<ref name="MPC-Sormano" /> After its [[First light (astronomy)|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 [[List of minor planet discoverers|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&nbsp;Toutatis]] and [[99942&nbsp;Apophis]].<ref name="MPC-Sormano" />

The [[Eunomia family|Eunomia]] asteroid [[6882 Sormano]], discovered by Piero Sicoli and Valter Giuliani, was named in honor of the village and its discovering nearby observatory.<ref name="MPC-Sormano" /> Naming citation was published on 3 May 1996 ({{small|[[Minor Planet Circulars|M.P.C.]] 27130}}).<ref name="MPC-Circulars-Archive" />

=== Sormano 2 Observatory ===

A second observatory, '''Sormano 2 Observatory''' (obs. code: [[IAU code#L06|L06]]) is located nearby, at 373 meters elevation, just south of [[Bellagio, Lombardy|Bellagio]]. The observatory also conducts astrometric observations, such as of the near-Earth object {{mpl|2018 CY|2}} in February 2018, using a 0.28-meter reflector (f/10 + CCD).<ref name="MPEC-Example-Sormano-2-Obs" />

== Discoveries ==

The [[Minor Planet Center]] credits the discovery of [[344581 Albisetti]] directly to the Sormano Astronomical Observatory. It is {{MoMP|344581|named after}} Italian Walter Albisetti (1957–2013).<ref name="MPC-Albisetti" />
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; width: 25em; margin-right: 1em; line-height: 1.65em !important;
|+ [[Minor planet]]s discovered: 1&thinsp;<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />
|-
| [[344581 Albisetti]] || 24 January 2003|| {{small|{{LoMP|344581|list}}}}&thinsp;{{ref label|codisc|A|}}
|-
! colspan=3 style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left; padding: 4px 12px;" |''Discovery'' credited to "Sormano" by the [[Minor Planet Center|MPC]]
|}
{{clear}}

== See also ==
* [[List of asteroid-discovering observatories]]
* [[List of astronomical observatories]]
* {{section link|List of minor planet discoverers|Discovering dedicated institutions}}

== References ==
{{reflist
|refs=

<ref name="MPC-Discoverers">{{cite web
  |title      = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html
  |date       = 4 September 2016
  |accessdate = 4 November 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="MPC-Sormano">{{cite web
  |title      = 6882 Sormano (1995 CC1)
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=6882
  |accessdate = 15 February 2018}}</ref>

<ref name="MPC-Circulars-Archive">{{cite web
  |title      = MPC/MPO/MPS Archive
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html
  |accessdate = 4 November 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="MPC-Albisetti">{{cite web
  |title      = 344581 Albisetti (2003 BG1)
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=344581
  |accessdate = 4 November 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="MPEC-Example-Sormano-2-Obs">{{cite web
  |title      = MPEC 2018-C87 : 2018 CY2
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K18/K18C87.html
  |accessdate = 15 February 2018}}</ref>

}} <!-- end of reflist -->

== External links ==
* [http://www.brera.mi.astro.it/sormano/ Homepage (Scientific) - The Sormano Astronomical Observatory] 
* [http://www.osservatoriosormano.it Homepage  (Popularization) - Osservatorio Astronomico Sormano] {{in lang|it}}
* [http://www.brera.mi.astro.it/sormano/activity.html Observational Activities], including list of discoveries
* [http://www.brera.mi.astro.it/sormano/full_citations.html Naming Citations] of minor planets discovered at Sormano

{{Astronomical observatories in Italy}}
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[[Category:Astronomical observatories in Italy]]
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