Museo astronomico geofisico di Modena

The Museum of the University Department of Engineering Sciences is placed in the historical Geophysical Observatory, in the south-eastern tower of the Palazzo Ducale in Modena. Founded in 1936, with its wealth of astronomical instruments and optical, maps and scientific books, memorabilia and notebooks of observations, documenting the typical environment of scientific study of the last century. Ancient Observatory keeps between his instrumentation for the study of atmospheric phenomena and astronomical some equipment of particular importance and quality. Worthy of mention is also a lunar map of the seventeenth century, prepared by the astronomer and mathematician Modena Geminianus Montanari. Interest in astronomy in Modena has roots in the sixteenth century, bat the establishment of an institute of astronomical studies and geophysical materialized only during the nineteenth century, thanks to the study of optics led by Giambattista Amici. Formally established by Francis IV in 1826, the Observatory was entrusted to the direction of Giuseppe Bianchi, that alongside the astronomical observations conducted with sophisticated instruments, he activated the reliefs of meteorological data. The economic development of which benefited the city during the nineteenth century influenced the evolution of the Observatory. After 1863, when the direction of Domenico Ragona, the activities of the Institute was oriented towards the meteorological measurements and terrestrial observations. The new name of Geophysical Observatory, taken in 1892, and preserved to this day, confirms this change of address, where he obtained a substantial modification of the equipment. During the twentieth century has increased its activities, putting not only in efficiency astronomical instruments, but adapting to the continuous meteorological and geophysical research scientific specialization. Among the most interesting tools in the museum's holdings are reported telescope Fraunhofer 1821, telescopes built by the famous astronomer Giovan Battista Amici in 1815 and, the same year, the Reichenbach meridian circle and Erfel, the comparator of Perreaux, teh evaporigrafo and rain gauge Domenico Ragona, the celestial globe of Delemarche dating back to 1847.