Other Activities

Light in Astornomy

Light in Astornomy, the week of light, is an annual event in which INAF offices throughout Italy open their doors to tell the public about the research, the challenges, the discoveries of Italian astronomers and beyond.

For the Arcetri Observatory it is now a fixed appointment to bring the public to discover the new frontiers of exploration of the universe: conferences followed by observations at the telescope, open Observatory evenings, observations of the sky with the inflatable planetarium, dissemination activities and workshops for children: follow us on this page to find out about the next appointments!

Bambineide

Since 2004, the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory has opened its doors to families, organizing the "Bambineide": an open day to discover astronomy, specially designed for children.

Every year the Bambineide proposes a journey in stages of about two and a half hours on a topical astrophysical theme (connected, for example, to new scientific discoveries, the awarding of the Nobel Prize, to important personalities in astrophysics, etc.). The itinerary includes laboratory activities, lectures, shows and a visit to the Starlab planetarium.

In past years, for example, we have taken children to explore the Moon, Mars and comets, to discover stars, other worlds and extra-solar planets, to play with space exploration and with light.

Upon request, the astronomical Bambineide can be exported to events dedicated to science.

European Researcher Night

The Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory participates in the Researchers' Night, an initiative promoted by the European Commission since 2005 that involves thousands of researchers and research institutions in all European countries every year.

The goal is to create opportunities for researchers and citizens to meet to spread scientific culture and knowledge of the research professions in an informal and stimulating context. Events include live science experiments and demonstrations, exhibitions and guided tours, educational lectures and seminars, shows and concerts. Italy immediately joined the European initiative with a variety of projects that traditionally make it one of the European countries with the largest number of events scattered throughout the territory.

At the center of the events, themes that will touch virtually all fields of science and culture, but in particular that of social and environmental sustainability in reference to the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the 20th anniversary of the European Charter of Rights.

For Information and Reservations write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The entrance of the guided tours to the Observatory is from the gate in via del Pian dei Giullari, 16