Equatorial sector

This telescope is one of the oldest instruments possessed by the Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera di Milano; it has been used in studying the planets, sunspots, and the moon. The glorious career of this equatorial sector is linked to the first scientific discovery made within the newly united Italy: that of the asteroid Hesperia (after the ancient Greek name for the Italian peninsula), discovered by Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli on 26 April 1861. Using this instrument, Schiaparelli also observed comet 1862-II, which allowed him to explain the phenomenon of shooting stars.