The Lost Skies · I Cieli Perduti

The story ↓ / Hidden Europe after dark ↓ / Through the telescope ↓ / The planetarium ↓ / Space exploration ↓ / Your zodiac constellation ↓ / The gallery of time ↓ / Plan your visit ↓ / Frequently asked questions ↓ / Source and current information ↓

THE STORY
In 1999 a group of amateur astronomers down in Valdagno, in the industrial valley, named their association Cieli Perduti, Lost Skies, after what light pollution had taken from them. In 2005 they went up to Marana di Crespadoro, where the Milky Way is still there, and stayed. What they built is MarSEC. 
The name also refers to something older: the knowledge of the sky that once helped people read the seasons and decide when to plant. Today, MarSEC, the Marana Space Explorer Center in Vicenza province, combines a public observatory, a digital planetarium and a museum of space exploration. You can book a place at a public event or arrange a private group visit.

HIDDEN EUROPE AFTER DARK
National Geographic’s reporting on noctourism, travel after dark, brings northern lights holidays and stargazing into the same travel conversation. Both begin with a reason to leave the city lights behind and spend part of a holiday looking up.
MarSEC belongs on that kind of European itinerary. An evening here might revolve around Saturn, a live presentation of the night sky or a telescope observation led by the people who use the observatory. For a stargazing holiday in Italy, choose the astronomy event before fixing the evening’s plans.

WHAT CAN YOU SEE THROUGH THE TELESCOPE?
The public astronomy dome, named after Italian astrophysicist Margherita Hack, houses a telescope with a 320 mm primary mirror. On observing nights, the programme and the sky determine the targets: the Moon, planets or other objects within reach that evening. MarSEC also has a separate telescope dedicated to astronomical research.
For the Milky Way, the wider view matters. NASA recommends darker locations and nights with little moonlight, because a bright Moon washes out the fainter stars. Plan around cloud cover, the Moon and the season, and allow your eyes time to adjust to darkness.

EUROPE TO THE STARS, UNDER A 7.5 METRE DOME
Inside the planetarium, the sky extends across a hemispherical ceiling above reclining seats. The programme includes live presentations and films such as Europe to the Stars, produced by the European Southern Observatory, which operates major astronomical observatories in Chile.
Its subject is the ambition behind those observatories: finding observing sites, building telescopes and investigating the Universe. At MarSEC, the film forms part of selected guided visits. Afternoon planetarium visits also offer an astronomy experience for families travelling through northern Italy; check the film, language and recommended age when booking.

THE MAN WHO HELPED SEND APOLLO 11 TO THE MOON
The space exploration museum is dedicated to Rocco Petrone, the NASA launch director who oversaw the early crewed Apollo launches, culminating in Apollo 11. Models, dioramas and displays trace the human effort behind spaceflight; selected visits also include exhibitions devoted to lunar exploration and the James Webb Space Telescope.
MarSEC is a member of NASA’s Museum Alliance, a network through which museums and other education venues gain access to NASA resources and expertise. The connection has a practical purpose: helping visitors understand the science behind the missions.

WHERE ARE THE ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS?
Taurus, Gemini and Leo share their names with horoscope signs and mark real regions of the night sky. They lie along the zodiac, the band around the Sun’s apparent annual path through the stars, where the planets also appear. Which constellations you can see depends on the season, the time of night and your view of the horizon.
At MarSEC, selected live planetarium evenings explore the sky of the month, guided by a presenter, with telescope observation when the weather permits. Check the programme for a session devoted to the seasonal sky and the objects visible on your chosen evening.

BENEATH THE OBSERVATORY: THE GALLERY OF TIME
While enlarging the observatory, the builders found two previously unknown cavities in the limestone. They became part of the Galleria del Tempo, the Gallery of Time, with a geological story beneath the astronomical one.
The cavities have names to match: La Porta dell’Ade, the Gate of Hades, and il Pozzo di Castore e Polluce, the Shaft of Castor and Pollux. Ask whether the gallery is included in your booked visit.

PLAN YOUR VISIT
Choose the session carefully. A guided tour of the telescope dome and a planetarium screening can take place in the afternoon; observing the night sky requires a session that explicitly includes it. Public opening follows the event calendar.
For a private group of up to 40, send your preferred activity, date, time and number of visitors to divulgazione@marsec.org. Ask about the language and access arrangements when booking. Prices and durations follow the selected programme.
Parking is by Albergo Ristorante Campana, followed by a short path to the observatory. Bring an extra layer for outdoor observing, and check the event’s weather arrangements before travelling.

FAQ

Where can I go stargazing in Vicenza, Italy?
MarSEC at Marana di Crespadoro offers public astronomy events and private group visits. To look through a telescope at the sky, book an event that explicitly includes observation, subject to weather.

Can you see the northern lights at MarSEC?
Aurora sightings at this latitude are exceptional and depend on major geomagnetic activity. Plan a MarSEC visit around its telescope nights and planetarium programme; an aurora would be an unusual additional sighting.

Does every visit include telescope observation?
Check the individual event. Some daytime visits include a tour of the telescope dome and a planetarium film, with sky observation excluded from the programme. Evening observing sessions depend on weather.

Can I arrange a private astronomy evening?
MarSEC accepts private group requests for up to 40 participants. Email the preferred activity, date, time and group size to divulgazione@marsec.org, and ask about English language arrangements before confirming.