Paris Observatory

About

The Paris Observatory (French: Observatoire de Paris, pronounced [ɔbsɛʁvatwaʁ d(ə) paʁi]), a research institution of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, one of the largest astronomical centres in the world, and the world’s oldest observatory still in operation. Its historic building is on the Left Bank of the Seine in central Paris, but most of the staff work on a satellite campus in Meudon, a suburb southwest of Paris.

The Paris Observatory was established in 1667 as part of a project to create a state-of-the-art astronomical observatory equipped with advanced instruments for mapping the skies and aiding navigation. Complementing the French Royal Academy of Sciences founded the previous year, it became a cornerstone of Western astronomy. It was here that fields such as geodesy, cartography, and meteorology flourished in France. King Louis XIV's minister of finance organized a "scientific powerhouse" to increase understanding of astronomy, maritime navigation, and science in general.