An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial and/or celestial events. Astronomy, astrology, climatology, geology, meteorology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Historically, observatories were as simple as containing a sextant (for measuring the distance between stars) or Stonehenge (which has some alignments on astronomical phenomena).

The oldest observatories in the world

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The oldest five observatories in the world according to NASA are:

1. Abu Simbel, Egypt
2. Stonehenge, Great Britain
3. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
4. Kokino, Republic of Macedonia
5. Goeck, Germany

Observatories still in use

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South Africa

The largest single telescope in the southern hemisphere is located at Sutherland, South Africa the Karoo town in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Due to its remote and arid location and altitude (1,458 metres above sea level), Sutherland is known for having some of the clearest and darkest night skies in the world. Sutherland hosts the telescopes of the South African Astronomical Observatory, including the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the largest single telescope .

Elsewhere in the world

Modern astronomical observatories typically contain one or more permanently mounted telescopes contained in buildings with a rotating or removable dome. Beginning in the 1940's, radio telescopes were built and began to detect significant radio sources in the universe. Such an instrument, or a collection of them, with outbuildings for such things as control centres, data reduction centers, and maintenance are called radio observatories. Some of the major radio observatories are at Socorro, in New Mexico, USA, Jodrell Bank in the UK, Arecibo, Puerto Rico and Parkes in New South Wales, Australia. Major optical observatories include Mauna Kea, HI, USA, Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in the Canary Islands, Paranal Observatory in Chile and Kitt Peak observatory in the USA. The largest observatory in the equatorial belt is Observatorio Nacional de Llano del Hato in Venezuela. Within the last twenty years, many space-based observatories have been launched, introducing a new use of the term.

See also

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• Volcano observatory
• Space observatory
• Timeline of telescopes, observatories, and observing technology
• List of observatories
• List of observatory codes

External links

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• Ocean Observatory Information, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Climate Change Observing Systems Information from the Ocean & Climate Change Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Milkyweb Astronomical Observatory Guide worlds largest database of astronomical observatories since 2001 - about 2000 entries
• Coastal Observatory Information from the Coastal Ocean Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Map: Planetaria and Observatories

Astronomical observatories

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