Journal

Technical and observational log.

This is where the build notes of Ivrea Observatory go: sensors, dashboard, technical choices, weather observations, sky watching, successful attempts and useful small accidents.

Project diary. We do not archive updates only: we tell the decisions, mistakes and ideas that turn Ivrea Observatory into a human-scale observatory. Since 7 July, on Saint Savino’s day, the project has entered Operation Open Sky.

WeatherPractical astronomyIoTDashboardIvrea

A symbol that looks up

Ivrea Observatory now has its final mark: one circle, one observer and a gaze turned towards the sky.

Articles

This is not a list of placeholders: every card opens a complete article, with real text and real project context.

Identity19 July 2026

A symbol that looks up

Ivrea Observatory now has its final mark: one circle, one observer and a gaze turned towards the sky.

5 min read · Published

Evolution12 July 2026

From website to app: Ivrea Observatory enters a new phase

PWA, Android prototype, Mission Control, a fully navigable SkyCam and three new social channels: the project is becoming more than a website.

7 min · Published

Website7 July 2026

7 July 2026: a major build day for Ivrea Observatory

A day of redesign, astronomy assets, a premium Tonight page, a realigned home page and a visual direction that is finally recognisable.

6 min · Published

History4 July 2026

Ambient light history

The BH1750 sensor does not just measure a number: lux history helps read sunrise, sunset, clouds, shadows and daily transitions.

4 min · Published

First light21 June 2026

Ivrea Observatory is online

The dashboard becomes the homepage: Ivrea Observatory goes online on the summer solstice, with live weather and sky data from Ivrea.

4 min · Published

Dashboard21 June 2026

Why the homepage is a dashboard

No text-heavy landing page: visitors should immediately see temperature, sky, light, wind, rain, Moon and observing conditions.

5 min · Published

Weather20 June 2026

From weather data to observing decisions

Temperature, humidity, wind and dew point are not just numbers: they help decide whether to observe, photograph or postpone.

6 min · Published

Imaging19 June 2026

Raspberry Pi Camera: the first eye on the sky

The Raspberry Pi Camera joins the project to create historical shots, environmental images and a future visual reading of sky conditions.

5 min · Published

Lightning18 June 2026

AS3935: distinguishing lightning, noise and interference

The lightning sensor is fascinating but delicate: the important part is not only detecting events, but understanding which ones are credible.

7 min · Published

Sensors18 June 2026

The BH1750 light node

Measuring lux helps read the transition between day, clouds, shade, evening and night. It is one of the simplest yet most narrative data points.

4 min · Published

Architecture17 June 2026

ESP32, PHP and MySQL: a no-frills dashboard

The project starts with an intentionally simple structure: sensors, HTTP ingest, database and responsive PHP pages.

6 min · Published

Observation17 June 2026

Sun, Moon and astronomical darkness in one view

The dashboard combines weather and astronomy: sunrise, sunset, Moon phase, next moonrise and useful observing window.

5 min · Published

UI16 June 2026

Drawing weather with CSS

Sun, clouds, rain, wind, humidity and pressure are drawn directly in CSS to keep the dashboard lightweight and coherent.

4 min · Published

Roadmap15 June 2026

What comes next: history, images, open source

The next step is to make the project more readable over time: data history, periodic images, documentation and reusable code.

5 min · Published

Education14 June 2026

An observatory as a home laboratory

Ivrea Observatory is not only a website: it is also a way to turn weather, sky and sensors into small understandable experiments.

4 min · Published

Method13 June 2026

Build by iteration, do not wait for perfection

The project grows while it works: first real data, then interface, then history, then storytelling. The beautiful part is seeing the evolution.

5 min · Published

Origins13 May 2026

When an idea started to take shape

Before the domain, before the name and before the public dashboard, there was only an idea: to build something that combined observation, data and curiosity.

4 min · Published

Editorial line

Not only the pretty outcomes

The journal is not here to pretend everything works perfectly on the first try. It is here to leave a trace: what was tested, what worked, what created false positives and what had to be corrected.

Real data first, graphics second. A beautiful dashboard disconnected from sensors is useless.

Every sensor needs interpretation: light, wind, lightning and humidity always need context.

The project must stay readable: few words, clear data and code that can still be documented.