Astronomical observatory
Bordering a dense forest, the Observatory is completely immersed in nature, surrounded by fruit trees, vineyards and olive groves. The structure was entirely designed by my father-in-law, Antonio Di Folco, and me. It is the result of extensive analysis and meticulous attention to detail, with the aim of creating a solid and stable environment, protected from vibrations and water infiltration.
Astronomical Roll-Off Shelter
Designed by me and built and installed by "2M Carpenteria Metallica Srl" under the careful guidance and expertise of Pietro Micheli, the Observatory is a rectangular structure measuring 2.9 m × 3.0 m, with an internal height decreasing from 1.90 m to 1.80 m.
The roof is slightly sloped to facilitate water drainage and can be rolled off along external horizontal rails approximately 6 m long, supported by two vertical posts. Once fully opened, the roof leaves the night sky completely unobstructed above the two optical tubes carried by a robotic mount positioned on the steel column at the centre of the structure.
A welded H-section column is connected by a horizontal bolted beam to the external roof rails to further reduce vibrations. The walls and roof are made of 4 cm thick polyester-glass laminate panels, while the entire load-bearing structure is made of hot-dip galvanized steel. The roof is operated by a rack-and-pinion system driven by a DOA 600 electric motor with a nominal power of 190 W.
There are six surveillance cameras, with IR disabled during astronomical observations: five outside and one inside. One of the external cameras is powered by a solar panel and connects via a SIM card rather than through the Observatory's LAN/Wi-Fi network, allowing it to remain operational even when the other cameras or the local network are unavailable.
There are six lighting points, four outside and two inside. All lights are automatically switched off during imaging sessions.
The generous internal space has allowed me to include: 1) a desk with a laptop protected from humidity by an iCap® Mid PRO box; 2) a cabinet for storing tools and equipment; 3) a workbench; and 4) a small refrigerator, because a cold beer should never be missing on a summer night.
The concrete floor has been covered with a mosaic of 2 cm thick rubber panels. In front of the structure, a natural stone floor has been laid, while on the western side there is a reinforced-concrete platform designed for the trolley-and-rail system of the 16-inch Dobsonian telescope. A raised stainless-steel platform is anchored to this structure, providing a comfortable position for visual observations.
The Observatory has two entrances: a main entrance with a full-height door and a secondary side entrance used exclusively to move the 16-inch Dobsonian telescope in and out.
The Observatory is protected by an alarm system, automatic external lighting and surveillance cameras equipped with motion sensors and infrared capability.
The roof operates safely thanks to an internal buzzer and an external flashing light installed on the north wall, both of which are activated five seconds before the roof motor starts moving. An infrared safety barrier provides additional protection against accidents inside the Observatory.
The backbone : platform and plinth
The Observatory is located on a solid reinforced-concrete platform, with a thickness ranging from 25 cm to an impressive 40 cm due to the sloping ground.
At the centre of the platform there is a solid 40 × 40 × 120 cm (L × W × H) reinforced-concrete plinth, completely isolated and structurally independent from the main platform. The plinth has a larger rectangular base buried beneath the platform to ensure maximum stability.
The steel column supporting the robotic mount, which carries both optical tubes — the medium-focal-length Artec 250E Newtonian and the short-focal-length RedCat 51 refractor — is anchored directly to the central plinth, making it essentially isolated from vibrations transmitted through the Observatory platform.
The column is secured to the central concrete plinth by eight Ø16 mm threaded rods fixed with chemical anchors. A double-nut system provides the initial coarse levelling of the column.
A complex system of conduits is embedded in the concrete for routing electrical and network cables. The most important conduit runs directly to the steel column on the central plinth, allowing all the necessary cables to reach the equipment without having to run across the Observatory floor.
Remote control
The Astronomical Observatory is designed for full remote operation, through a complex control system originally designed and installed by my friend Giorgio Diegoli and subsequently modified and expanded by me over time to reach its current configuration.
Remote operation is essential because I live in Rome and frequently travel for work, allowing me to use the Observatory whenever the sky is clear, even when I am hundreds or thousands of kilometres away. Nevertheless, whenever possible, I still enjoy spending many hours physically inside the Observatory.
The electrical and control system is divided between a main electrical panel and a secondary panel mounted on the central steel column. Both the main cabinet and the server compartment are equipped with thermostatically controlled ventilation.
At the heart of the main panel is a Denkovi control board, providing 12 relay outputs, 8 digital inputs and 8 analogue inputs. It remotely controls the roll-off roof and the main astronomical equipment, including the mount, cameras, focuser, flat panel, optical tube fan and external safety lights.
The same board supervises several safety systems. A laser parking sensor prevents the roof from closing unless the telescope is safely parked, while an infrared safety barrier immediately stops roof movement if an obstacle is detected. A physical emergency STOP button provides an additional independent means of stopping the roof.
Two mechanical limit switches identify the fully open and fully closed roof positions. Additional digital inputs monitor the laser system, roof motor, access doors, 230 V mains supply and emergency STOP circuit. A Shelly i4provides further inputs for monitoring the internal rain sensor, electrical-panel and server cooling fans, and the presence of power downstream of the electrical protection devices.
Six DPDT relays provide electrical status monitoring and auxiliary control. They supervise the incoming mains supply, power downstream of the Finder 70-ICT protection system, the cabinet and server cooling fans, and the internal monitoring camera. The sixth relay uses both poles to monitor roof motor operation and the infrared roof safety system.
Five network-connected Shelly devices provide additional monitoring and control functions. A Shelly Pro EM-50measures voltage, current, power and energy consumption for the entire Observatory and the non-UPS circuit, allowing the consumption of the UPS circuit to be derived separately.
Power is distributed through separate 230 V and 12 V circuits. Two 12 V power supplies feed most of the low-voltage equipment, while a separate 48 V supply powers the PoE network switch. A dedicated UPS supplies the most critical equipment, ensuring that the telescope can still be parked and the roof safely closed during a mains failure. An Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) and dedicated protection circuitry allow the Observatory to recover automatically even after prolonged power interruptions.
Network connectivity is provided by a 16-port Ethernet switch, complemented by a four-port PoE switch for devices including the weather monitoring system and AllSky camera. A network surge protector protects the LAN connection between the house and the Observatory, while a Wi-Fi access point serves surveillance cameras, Shelly devices and mobile devices in an area where cellular coverage is poor.
The secondary panel on the telescope pier distributes power and connections to the astronomical equipment and houses the mini-PC acting as the Observatory server, together with the 24 V power supply and control unit of the 10Micron robotic mount.
Automation
Remote control is only part of the system: the Observatory is also capable of fully autonomous operation throughout the night. This allows an imaging session to continue while I sleep, without leaving the telescope and other equipment exposed to rain, excessive wind or other unsafe conditions.
The server and secondary electrical panel shown in the photograph is installed directly on the central steel telescope pier. It houses the mini-PC that acts as the Observatory server, running the software that manages the astronomical equipment and stores the acquired images. The same cabinet also contains the 10Micron GM2000 HPS II mount control unit, together with its dedicated 24 V DC power supply, as well as the electrical connections and power distribution for the equipment installed on the telescope. The cabinet is equipped with its own thermostatically controlled ventilation system to maintain suitable operating conditions for the electronics.
The external weather station continuously monitors observing conditions, while the CloudWatcher Solo processes the acquired data and determines whether the Observatory can safely operate. This information is integrated with the roof, telescope and safety systems, so that the Observatory can open and remain operational only while the required safety conditions are satisfied.
Once an astronomical target has been selected, together with parameters such as its minimum acceptable altitude above the horizon and maximum permitted Moon presence, the imaging system can automatically prepare the Observatory for the session. It can open the roof, activate the required equipment, slew the telescope to the target, track it and acquire the programmed sequence of astronomical images. The astrophotography sequence itself is managed through N.I.N.A., running on the Observatory server and communicating with the mount, cameras, focuser and other astronomical equipment.
Safety always has priority over imaging. The Observatory's safety monitoring system continuously evaluates not only the weather conditions but also the availability of the incoming mains power supply. If weather conditions become unsafe, the automated system interrupts imaging, parks the telescope and closes the roof. Similarly, if an external power failure is detected, the system automatically initiates the same safe shutdown procedure. The UPS provides sufficient backup power to keep the essential equipment operational, park the telescope and close the roof safely even when mains power is no longer available.
If normal conditions are subsequently restored during the night, the Observatory can automatically reopen and resume the interrupted imaging session. The combination of weather and power monitoring, redundant roof-safety systems, UPS backup, automated recovery and remote network access therefore allows the Observatory to manage an imaging session autonomously while continuously protecting the astronomical equipment.