List of astronomical observatories

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in operation. Other sciences, such as volcanology and meteorology, also use facilities called observatories for research and observations however this list is limited to observatories that are used to observe celestial objects.

An astronomical observatory is a building or group of buildings constructed to aid in observations of astronomical objects such as planets, asteroids, stars, nebulae, and galaxies. In most cases, astronomical observations are made using different types of telescopes that serve to increase the apparent angular size and brightness of distant celestial objects allowing them to be better studied and understood.

Astronomical observatories fall into two main categories: ground-based observatories and space-based observatories.

[edit] Ground-based observatories

Ground-based observatories, located on the surface of Earth, are used to make observations in the radio and visible light portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Nearly all ground-based telescopes are housed within a dome or other similar structure in order to protect the delicate instruments from the elements. Telescope domes contain a slat or other opening in the roof that can be opened during observing and then closed when the telescope is not in use. In most cases, the entire upper portion of the telescope dome can be rotated in order to allow the instrument to observe different sections of the night sky.

Most modern ground-based observatories are located far from major centers of population in order to avoid the effects of light pollution. The ideal locations for modern observatories are sites that have dark skies, a large percentage of clear nights per year, dry air, and are at high elevations. At high elevations, the Earth's atmosphere is thinner thereby minimizing the effects of atmospheric turbulence and resulting in better astronomical "seeing".^[1] Sites that meet the above criteria for modern observatories include the southwestern United States, Hawaii, the Andes Mountains, and Australia.^[2]

[edit] Space-based observatories

Space-based observatories are telescopes or other instruments that are located in outer space, many in orbit around the Earth. Space-based observatories can be used to observe astronomical objects at wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and are thus impossible to observe using ground-based telescopes. The Earth's atmosphere is opaque to ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays and is partially opaque to infrared radiation so observations in these portions of the electromagnetic spectrum are best carried out from a location above the atmosphere of our planet.^[3] Another advantage of space-based telescopes is that, because of their location above the Earth's atmosphere, their images are free from the effects of atmospheric turbulence that plague ground-based observations.^[4] As a result, the angular resolution of space telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope is often much smaller than a ground-based telescope with a similar aperture. However, all these advantages do come with a price. Space telescopes are much more expensive to build than ground-based telescopes. Due to their location, space telescopes are also extremely difficult to maintain. The Hubble Space Telescope can be serviced by the Space Shuttle while many other space telescopes can not be serviced at all.^[5]

Legend

Space observatory

Radio observatory

Solar observatory

Neutrino observatory

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] A

Name	Established	Location
Abu Reyhan-e Birooni Observatory	1976	Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Aker Observatory	1995	Safford, Arizona (USA)
Aldershot Observatory	1906	Aldershot, Hampshire (United Kingdom)
Allegheny Observatory	1859	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA)
Anderson Mesa Station	1959	Flagstaff, Arizona, (USA)
Andromeda Observatory	1992	Isle of Man, British Isles
Angell Hall Observatory		Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA)
Anglo-Australian Observatory	1971	Coonabarabran, Australia
Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detector Array	2002	Antarctica
Apache Point Observatory		Sunspot, New Mexico (USA)
Apollo Observatory	1969	Dayton, Ohio (USA)
Arcetri Observatory		Arcetri, Florence, Italy
Arecibo Observatory	1963	Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Armagh Observatory	1790	Armagh, Ireland
Ashton Observatory	1983	Baxter, Iowa (USA)
Asiago Observatory	1942	Asiago, Italy
Australia Telescope Compact Array	1988	Narrabri, Australia

[edit] B

Name	Established	Location
Badlands Observatory	2000	Quinn, South Dakota (USA)
Baker Observatory		Marshfield, Missouri (USA)
Ball State University Observatory		Muncie, Indiana (USA)
Barnard Observatory (defunct)	1844	Oxford, Mississippi (USA)
Behlen Observatory	1972	Mead, Nebraska (USA)
Beijing Ancient Observatory	1442	Beijing, China
Belogradchik Observatory	1961	Belogradchik, Bulgaria
BeppoSAX (defunct)	1996	Low Earth orbit
Bergisch Gladbach Observatory		Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
Berlin Observatory	1711	Germany
Besançon Observatory	1882	Besançon, France
Big Bear Lake Solar Observatory	1969	Big Bear City, California (USA)
Black Moshannon Observatory (defunct)		Pennsylvania, (USA)
Bordeaux Observatory	1878	Floirac, France
Boswell Observatory (defunct)	1883	Crete, Nebraska, (USA)
Bowman Observatory	1940	Greenwich, Connecticut (USA)
Boyden Observatory	1889	Bloemfontein, South Africa
Bradstreet Observatory	1996	St. Davids, Pennsylvania (USA)
Bradley Observatory	1950	Decatur, Georgia (USA)
Braeside Observatory	1976	Flagstaff, Arizona (USA)
Brera Observatory	1764	Milan, Italy
Brooks Observatory		Toledo, Ohio (USA)
Brooks Astronomical Observatory	1964	Mount Pleasant, Michigan (USA)
Brorfelde Observatory		Holbæk, Denmark
Bucknell Observatory		Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (USA)
Byurakan Observatory	1942	Mount Aragats, Armenia

[edit] C

Name	Established	Location
Cagliari Observatory	1899	Cagliari, Sardinia
Calar Alto Observatory	1975	Almería, Spain
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory		Mauna Kea, Hawaii, (USA)
Capilla Peak Observatory		Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA)
Carter Observatory	1937	Wellington, New Zealand
Catania Astrophysical Observatory		Catania, Italy
Celestial Observatory		Russellville, Arkansas (USA)
Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory	1962	Atacama Desert, Chile
Cerro Pachón Observatory	2000	Atacama Desert, Chile
Chabot Observatory	1883	Oakland, California (USA)
Chamberlin Observatory	1890	Denver, Colorado (USA)
Chandra X-ray Observatory	1999	Highly eccentric Earth orbit
Chico Community Observatory		Chico, California (USA)
Cincinnati Observatory	1843	Cincinnati, Ohio (USA)
City Observatory, Edinburgh	1818	Edinburgh, Scotland
Clarke Observatory	1897 / 1923	Dunkirk, New York / Alliance, Ohio, (USA)
Coit Observatory		Boston, Massachusetts (USA)
Collm Observatory		Leipzig, Germany
Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (defunct)	1991-2000	Low earth orbit
Concordia College Observatory		Moorhead, Minnesota, (USA)
Copenhagen University Observatory	1861	Copenhagen, Denmark
Cordell-Lorenz Observatory		Sewanee, Tennessee (USA)
COROT	2006 (planned)	Polar orbit
Côte d'Azur Observatory	1988	France
Crane Observatory		Topeka, Kansas (USA)
Crawford Observatory	1880	Cork, Ireland
Creighton University Observatory (defunct)	1886-1955	Omaha, Nebraska, (USA)
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory	1945	Ukraine
Črni Vrh Observatory	1975	Idrija, Slovenia
Cupillari Observatory		La Plume, Pennsylvania (USA)
Custer Observatory		Southold, New York (USA)

[edit] D

Name	Established	Location
Daniel Scholl Observatory (defunct)	1886–1966	Lancaster, Pennsylvania (USA)
Darling's Observatory (defunct)	1917	Duluth, Minnesota (USA)
Detroit Observatory	1854	Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
David Dunlap Observatory	1935	Richmond Hill, Ontario (Canada)
Dome C		Antarctica
Dominion Observatory	1905	Ottawa, Ontario, (Canada)
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory	1947	Victoria, B.C., British Columbia (Canada)
Dunsink Observatory	1785	Dublin, Ireland
Dyer Observatory	1953	Brentwood, Tennessee (USA)

[edit] E

Name	Established	Location
Echo Valley Observatory		Algonquin Park, Ontario (Canada)
Effelsberg Radio Telescope	1972	Bonn, Germany
Einstein Observatory (defunct)	1978	Low Earth orbit
Eskdalemuir Observatory	1908	Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
European Southern Observatory La Silla Observatory Llano de Chajnantor Observatory Paranal Observatory	1962	Atacama Desert, Chile

[edit] F

Name	Established	Location
Fabra Observatory	1906	Barcelona, Spain
Fan Mountain Observatory	1966	Albemarle County, Virginia (USA)
Farm Cove Observatory	2000	Auckland, New Zealand
Félix Aguilar Observatory	1965	San Juan, Argentina
Fernbank Observatory		Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
Fick Observatory	1966	Boone, Iowa (USA)
Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory	1976	New Salem, Massachusetts (USA)
Flarestar Observatory		San Gwann, Malta
Foggy Bottom Observatory	1951	Hamilton, New York (USA)
Foothill Observatory		Los Altos Hills, California (USA)
Ford Observatory	1998	Ithaca, New York (USA)
Fox Observatory		Sunrise, Florida (USA)
Fox Park Public Observatory	1999	Potterville, Michigan (USA)
Francis Marion University Observatory	1982	Florence, South Carolina (USA)
Fremont Peak Observatory	1986	San Juan Bautista, California (USA)
Frosty Drew Observatory	1980s	Charlestown, Rhode Island (USA)

[edit] G

Name	Established	Location
Gemini Observatory	1999	Southern Operations Center: La Serena, Chile; Northern Operations Center: Hilo, Hawaii
Gifford Observatory	1912	Wellington, New Zealand
Glen D. Riley Observatory	1973	Naperville, Illinois, (USA)
Godlee Observatory	1902	Manchester, England
Goodsell Observatory	1887	Northfield, Minnesota, (USA)
Goethe Link Observatory	1939	Brooklyn, Indiana (USA)
Goldendale Observatory	1973	Goldendale, Washington (USA)
Grant O. Gale Observatory	1984	Grinnell, Iowa (USA)
Green Bank Telescope		Green Bank, West Virginia, (USA)
Griffith Observatory	1935	Los Angeles, California, (USA)
Guillermo Haro Observatory		Sonora, Mexico

[edit] H

Name	Established	Location
Haggart Observatory	1989	Oregon City, Oregon, (USA)
HALCA (defunct)	1997-2005	Elliptical earth-centered orbit
Haleakala Observatory		Maui, Hawaii, (USA)
Hamburg Observatory	1912	Bergedorf, Germany
Hancock Astrophysical Observatory		San Juan Bautista, California, (USA)
Hat Creek Radio Observatory	1950s	Shasta County, California, (USA)
Hard Labor Creek Observatory		Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
Hartung-Boothroyd Observatory	1974	Ithaca, New York (USA)
Harvard College Observatory	1839	Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA)
Haute-Provence Observatory	1937	Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Haystack Observatory	1964	Westford, Massachusetts, (USA)
Herrett Observatory	2004	Twin Falls, Idaho (USA)
Herschel Space Observatory	2007 (planned)	Earth-Sun L2 point
Hidden Valley Observatory	1960s	Rapid City, South Dakota, (USA)
Hobbs Observatory	1974	Fall Creek, Wisconsin (USA)
Hoher List Observatory	1954	Daun, Germany
Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium	1954	Indianapolis, Indiana (USA)
Hopkins Observatory	1838	Williamstown, Massachusetts (USA)
Howell Observatory		Starkville, Mississippi, (USA)
Hradec Králové Observatory	1961	Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Hubble Space Telescope	1990	Low Earth orbit
Hyde Memorial Observatory	1977	Lincoln, Nebraska, (USA)

[edit] I

Name	Established	Location
Indian Astronomical Observatory	2001	Hanle, India
INTEGRAL	2002	Highly eccentric Earth orbit
Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) (defunct)	Jan-Nov 1983	Earth orbit
Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) (defunct)	1995-1998	Earth orbit
Innsbruck Observatory		Innsbruck, Austria
Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes	1979	La Palma, Spain
Iso-Heikkilä Observatory (defunct)		Turku, Finland

[edit] J

Name	Established	Location
James Webb Space Telescope	2013 (planned)	Earth-Sun L2 Lagrangian point
Jantar Mantar	1727	Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Jena Observatory	1962	Jena, Germany
Jewett Observatory	1953	Pullman, Washington (USA)
Jodrell Bank Observatory	1945	Cheshire, United Kingdom
Jones Observatory	1936	Chattanooga, Tennessee (USA)

[edit] K

Name	Established	Location
Kamioka Observatory	1983	Hida, Gifu, Japan
Kanzelhoehe Solar Observatory	1943	Villach, Austria
Karl Schwarzschild Observatory	1960	Jena, Germany
Keck Observatory	1993	Mauna Kea, Hawaii, (USA)
Keeble Observatory	1963	Ashland, Virginia (USA)
Kennon Observatory	1939	Oxford, Mississippi (USA)
Kepler Space Observatory	2008 (planned)	Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit
Kirkwood Observatory	1901	Bloomington, Indiana (USA)
Kitt Peak National Observatory	1958	Tucson, Arizona (USA)
Kleť Observatory	1957	České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Kodaikanal Solar Observatory	1899	Palani, India
Konkoly Observatory	1871	Budapest, Hungary
Kvistaberg Observatory		Sweden
Kyung Hee Observatory	1992	Seoul, South Korea

[edit] L

Name	Established	Location
Ladd Observatory	1891	Providence, Rhode Island (USA)
Lake Afton Public Observatory	1979	Wichita, Kansas (USA)
La Plata Astronomical Observatory	1883	La Plata, Argentina
La Silla Observatory		Atacama Desert, Chile
Large Millimeter Telescope		Sierra Negra, Mexico
Las Brisas Observatory	1979	Colorado, (USA)
Las Campanas Observatory		La Serena, Chile
Laws Observatory	1880	Columbia, Missouri (USA)
Leander McCormick Observatory	1885	Mount Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia (USA)
Leiden Observatory	1633	Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
Leipzig Observatory		Leipzig, Germany
Leoncito Astronomical Complex	1986	Calingasta, San Juan, (Argentina)
Levenhagen Observatory		Seattle, Washington (USA)
Llano de Chajnantor Observatory	2005	Atacama Desert, Chile
Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory	1970s	Mèrida, Venezeula
Lick Observatory	1881	Mount Hamilton, San Jose, California (USA)
Lowell Observatory Anderson Mesa Station	1894	Flagstaff, Arizona (USA)
Lund Observatory	1749	Lund, Sweeden
Lyon Observatory	1877	St Genis Laval, France

[edit] M

Name	Established	Location
Macalester College Observatory		Saint Paul, Minnesota (USA)
Magdalena Ridge Observatory (under construction)	2006	Socorro County, New Mexico, (USA)
Manastash Ridge Observatory	1972	Ellensburg, Washington (USA)
Margaret M. Jacoby Observatory		Warwick, Rhode Island (USA)
Maria Mitchell Observatory	1908	Nantucket, Massachusetts (USA)
Markree Observatory	1837	County Sligo, Ireland
Marseille Observatory		Marseille, France
Martz Observatory		Chautauqua County, New York (USA)
Mauna Kea Observatory	1967	Mauna Kea, Hawaii, (USA)
Mauna Loa Solar Observatory		Hawaii, (USA)
Maynard F. Jordan Observatory	1901	Orono, Maine (USA)
McDonald Observatory		Davis Mountains, Texas, (USA)
McKim Observatory	1884	Greencastle, Indiana (USA)
McMath-Hulbert Solar Observatory	1930	Lake Angelus, Michigan (USA)
MDM Observatory		Kitt Peak, Arizona, (USA)
Mees Observatory		Rochester, New York (USA)
Mehalso Observatory		Erie, Pennsylvania (USA)
Melbourne Observatory	1862	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Melton Memorial Observatory	1928	Columbia, South Carolina (USA)
Mendenhall Observatory	2002	Stillwater, Oklahoma (USA)
Menke Observatory	1994	Davenport, Iowa, (USA)
Meudon Observatory	1876	Meudon, France
Meyer-Womble Observatory	1996	Mount Evans, Colorado (USA)
Michigan State University Observatory	1969	East Lansing, Michigan (USA)
Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées Pic du Midi Observatory Toulouse Observatory	1878 1733	Headquarters: Toulouse, France
Miller Observatory	1976	Maiden, North Carolina (USA)
MMT Observatory	1987	Mount Hopkins, Arizona, (USA)
Moletai Astronomical Observatory	1969	Moletai, Lithuania
Mont Mégantic Observatory	1978	Mont Mégantic, Québec, Canada
Moore Observatory	1978	Oldham County, Kentucky (USA)
Morris Observatory	1973	North Manchester, Indiana (USA)
Morrison Observatory		Fayette, Missouri, (USA)
Mounds Observatory		Tulsa, Oklahoma, (USA)
Mount Cuba Astronomical Observatory		Greenville, Delaware (USA)
Mount Graham International Observatory	1993	Mount Graham, Arizona, (USA)
Mount John University Observatory		Lake Tekapo, South Island, New Zealand
Mount Laguna Observatory	1968	San Diego, California, (USA)
Mount Lemmon Observatory		Tucson, Arizona, (USA)
Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory		Tasmania
Mount Stromlo Observatory	1911	Canberra, Australia
Mount Suhora Observatory	1987	Poland
Mount Wilson Observatory	1904	Mount Wilson, Los Angeles County, California, (USA)
Mountain Skies Observatory		Lyman, Wyoming (USA)
Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory	1957	Cambridge, United Kingdom

[edit] N

Name	Established	Location
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan	1988	Headquarters: Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
National Astronomical Observatory (Mexico)	1970	Baja California, Mexico
National Observatory of Athens	1846	Athens, Greece
National Optical Astronomy Observatory Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Gemini Observatory Kitt Peak National Observatory National Solar Observatory	1982	Headquarters: Tucson, Arizona, USA
National Optical Observatory		Turkey
National Radio Astronomy Observatory Atacama Large Millimeter Array Green Bank Telescope Very Large Array Very Long Baseline Array		Headquarters: Charlottesville, Virginia, (USA)
National Solar Observatory		Sunspot, New Mexico (USA) & Kitt Peak, Arizona, (USA)
Naylor Observatory		Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (USA)
Neuchâtel Observatory	1858	Neuchâtel,Switzerland
Nice Observatory	1879	Nice, France
Norman Lockyer Observatory	1912	Sidmouth, Devon, United Kingdom
North Georgia Astronomical Observatory		Dahlonega, Georgia (USA)
North Otago Astronomical Society Observatory		Oamaru, South Island, New Zealand
Nyrölä Observatory	1997	Jyväskylän maalaiskunta, Finland

[edit] O

Name	Established	Location
Oil Region Astronomical Observatory		Venango County, Pennsylvania (USA)
Ondřejov Observatory	1898	Ondřejov, Czech Republic
Otter Creek Observatory	1995	Meade County, Kentucky (USA)
Owens Valley Radio Observatory		Bishop, California, (USA)

[edit] P

Name	Established	Location
Palisades-Dows Observatory	1987	Cedar Rapids, Iowa (USA)
Palomar Observatory	1948	Palomar Mountain, California, (USA)
Panzano Observatory		Bologna, Italy
Paranal Observatory		Cerro Paranal, Atacama desert, Chile
Paris Observatory	1667	Paris, France
Parkes Observatory	1961	Parkes, Australia
Paul Robinson Observatory	1965	High Bridge, New Jersey (USA)
Perkins Observatory	1931	Delaware, Ohio (USA)
Perth Observatory	1896	Perth, Australia
Pic du Midi Observatory	1878	Pic du Midi, Pyrenees, France
Pico dos Dias Observatory	1981	Minas Gerais, Brazil
Pine Bluff Observatory	1958	Cross Plains, Wisconsin (USA)
Pine Mountain Observatory		Bend, Oregon (USA)
Poznań Observatory	1919	Poznań, Poland
Pulkovo Observatory	1839	Pulkovskiye Heights, Russia
Purple Mountain Observatory		Nanjing, China

[edit] R

Name	Established	Location
Radcliffe Observatory	1772	Oxford, England. Moved to Durban, South Africa in 1939
Rainwater Observatory		French Camp, Mississippi (USA)
Ralph A. Worley Observatory	1964	Shreveport, Louisiana (USA)
Rantaseppä-Helenius Farmyard Observatory	1963	Kevola, Finland
Red Barn Observatory H68	2006	Ty Ty, Georgia (USA)
Red Buttes Observatory	1994	Laramie, Wyoming (USA)
Riley Observatory	1974	Naperville, Illinois (USA)
RIT Observatory		Rochester, New York (USA)
Robert Brownlee Observatory		Lake Arrowhead, California (USA)
Robinson Observatory		Orlando, Florida (USA)
Robotic Lunar Observatory	1995	Flagstaff, AZ (USA)
Rogers Observatory	1981	Traverse City, Michigan (USA)
Rolnick Observatory		Westport, Connecticut (USA)
Rome Observatory		Italy
Royal Observatory, Greenwich	1675	Greenwich, England
Royal Observatory, Edinburgh	1896	Edinburgh, Scotland
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory	1979 (officially inaugurated in 1985)	La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.

[edit] S

Name	Established	Location
Shattuck Observatory	1854	Hanover, New Hampshire (USA)
Seven Hills Observatory	1996	Kearney, Nebraska, (USA)
Sherzer Observatory	1878	Ypsilanti, Michigan (USA)
Siding Spring Observatory		Siding Spring, New South Wales, Australia
Simeiz Observatory		Simeiz, Crimea, Ukraine
Sisk Observatory		Mulberry, Kansas (USA)
Skalnaté Pleso Observatory	1953	Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia
Skylab	1973	low Earth orbit; re-entered in 1979
Smith Observatory	1880's	Beloit, Wisconsin (USA)
Sola Fide Observatory		Austin, Minnesota (USA)
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)	1996	Earth-Sun L1 point
Sommers-Bausch Observatory	1949	Boulder, Colorado (USA)
Sonnenborgh Observatory	1853	Utrecht, Netherlands
Sonoma State Observatory	1976	Rohnert Park, California (USA)
South African Astronomical Observatory Southern African Large Telescope	1972	Sutherland, South Africa
Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences		Caucasus Mountains, Russia
Sperry Observatory	1967	Cranford, New Jersey (USA)
Spitzer Space Telescope	2003	Heliocentric orbit
Springwater Observatory	2005	Estacada, Oregon (USA)
Sproul Observatory		Swarthmore, Pennsylvania (USA)
Stardome Observatory	1967	Auckland, North Island, New Zealand
Starkenburg Observatory	1970	Heppenheim, Germany
Štefánik's Observatory	1928	Prague, Czech Republic
Steward Observatory MMT Observatory Mount Graham International Observatory Mount Lemmon Observatory	1916	Tucson, Arizona, (USA)
Stjerneborg	1581	Hven, Sweden
Stockholm Observatory	1749	Stockholm, Sweeden
Stokesville Observatory		Virginia, (USA)
Strasbourg Observatory	1881	Strasbourg, France
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy	2006	Boeing 747SP airliner
Stull Observatory	1966	Alfred, New York (USA)
Stuttgart Observatory	1920	Stuttgart, Germany
Sudbury Neutrino Observatory	1999	Sudbury, Ontario, (Canada)
Sunriver Observatory		Sunriver, Oregon (USA)
Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission	2004	Low Earth orbit
Sydney Observatory	1858	Sydney, Australia

[edit] T

Name	Established	Location
Tacubaya Observatory	1882	Tacubaya, Mexico City, Mexico
Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory	1986	Taejon, South Korea
Tamke-Allen Observatory	1998	Roane County, Tennessee (USA)
Tartu Observatory	1964	Tartumaa, Estonia
Teide Observatory	1964	Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Ten Acre Observatory		Tribbey, Oklahoma (USA)
Texas A&M Astronomical Observatory		College Station, Texas (USA)
Theodore Jacobsen Observatory	1895	Seattle, Washington, (USA)
Thompson Observatory	1968	Beloit, Wisconsin (USA)
Tuorla Observatory		Piikkiö, Finland
Trieste Observatory		Trieste, Italy
Turin Observatory	1759	Pino Torinese, Italy

[edit] U

Name	Established	Location
Udaipur Solar Observatory		Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
University of Alabama Observatory	1849	Tuscaloosa, Alabama (USA)
University of North Alabama Observatory		Florence, Alabama (USA)
University of London Observatory	1929	London, England
University of Maryland Observatory		College Park, Maryland (USA)
University of New Hampshire Observatory		Durham, New Hampshire (USA)
Uppsala Astronomical Observatory	1741	Uppsala, Sweden
Urania (Antwerp)		Hove, Belgium
Urania (Berlin)		Berlin, Germany
Urania (Vienna)	1909	Vienna, Austria
Urania Observatory (Zurich)	1907	Zurich, Switzerland
Uraniborg	1572	Hven, Sweden
U.S. Naval Observatory	1842	Washington, D.C., (USA)
U.S. Naval Observatory (Flagstaff Station)	1955	Flagstaff, Arizona, (USA)

[edit] V

Name	Established	Location
Vainu Bappu Observatory		Tamil Nadu, India
Van Vleck Observatory	1914	Middletown, Connecticut (USA)
Vanderbilt University Observatory		Nashville, Tennessee (USA)
Vassar College Observatory	1865	Poughkeepsie, New York (USA)
Vatican Observatory Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope		Castelgandolfo, Italy Mount Graham, Arizona, USA
Veen Observatory	1970	Lowell, Michigan (USA)
Vega-Bray Observatory	1990	Benson, Arizona (USA)
Vernonia Peak Observatory		Oregon, (USA)
Very Large Array	1980	Socorro, New Mexico (USA)
Very Long Baseline Array	1993	Various locations
Vienna Observatory	1753	Vienna, Austria
Vilnius University Observatory	1753	Vilnius University, Lithuania
Višnjan Observatory	1978	Višnjan, Croatia

[edit] W

Name	Established	Location
Warner Observatory	1882	Rochester, New York (USA)
Warner and Swasey Observatory	1919	Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Warren Rupp Observatory	1985	Mansfield, Ohio (USA)
Washburn Observatory	1881	Madison, Wisconsin (USA)
Weaver Student Observatory		Monterey, California (USA)
Weitkamp Observatory	1955	Westerville, Ohio (USA)
Whipple Observatory	1968	Mount Hopkins, Arizona, (USA)
Whitin Observatory	1901	Wellesley, Massachusetts (USA)
Wilder Observatory		Amherst, Massachusetts (USA)
Williams Observatory	1990	Boiling Springs, North Carolina (USA)
Winer Observatory	1983	Sonoita, Arizona (USA)
Winfree Observatory	1900	Lynchburg, Virginia (USA)
Wise Observatory	1971	Negev, Israel
Witte Observatory	1984	Mediapolis, Iowa (USA)
WIYN Observatory	1994	Kitt Peak, Arizona (USA)

[edit] X

Name	Established	Location
XMM-Newton	1999	Highly eccentric Earth orbit

[edit] Y

Name	Established	Location
Yale Student Observatory		New Haven, Connecticut (USA)
Yantra Mandir	1724	New Delhi, Delhi, India
Yerkes Observatory	1897	Williams Bay, Wisconsin (USA)
York University Observatory		Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

[edit] Z

Name	Established	Location
Zimmerwald Observatory	1956	Zimmerwald, Switzerland

[edit] References

1. ^ Chaisson, Eric, McMillan, Steve (2002). Astronomy Today, Fourth Edition. Prentice Hall, 116-119.
2. ^ Chaisson, Eric, McMillan, Steve (2002). Astronomy Today, Fourth Edition. Prentice Hall, 119.
3. ^ Chaisson, Eric, McMillan, Steve (2002). Astronomy Today, Fourth Edition. Prentice Hall.
4. ^ A Brief History of the Hubble Space Telescope: Why a Space Telescope?. NASA. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.
5. ^ A Era of Space Telescopes. Space Telescope Science Institute. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.

[edit] See also

• Subsections of Category:Astronomical observatories by country
• History of telescopes
• List of astronomical instrument makers
• List of observatory codes
• List of largest optical reflecting telescopes
• List of largest optical refracting telescopes
• List of telescope types
• Space observatory
• Timeline of telescopes, observatories, and observing technology

[edit] External links

• History of Astronomy: Observatories and other places
• American observatories by state