The Spanish National Observatory (, OAN) is an
astronomical observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed.
Th ...
with several facilities in the
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
area.
The Observatory has published a
yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of Annual publication, a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually ...
(the ''Anuario del Observatorio Astronómico de Madrid'') since the 19th century.
Royal Observatory
The seat of the National Observatory is the Royal Observatory () in the
Parque del Buen Retiro
The Retiro Park (Spanish: , literally "Good Retreat Park"), also known as Buen Retiro Park or simply El Retiro, is one of the largest city parks in Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish monarchy until 1868, when it became a public par ...
.
This historic observatory was built in 1790. Equipped with a Herschel telescope, it took over the purely astronomical work of the naval observatory, the ''
Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada
The Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada (Royal Institute and Observatory of the Spanish Navy) is the scientific institute and astronomical observatory of the Spanish Navy (''Armada''), located in San Fernando in the Province of Cádiz, A ...
'', in the south of the country.
The building was designed by
Juan de Villanueva
Juan de Villanueva (September 15, 1739 in Madrid – August 22, 1811) was a Spanish architect. Alongside Ventura Rodríguez, Villanueva is the best known architect of Spanish Neoclassicism.
Biography
His father was the sculptor Juan de Villa ...
and represents one of the highlights of Spanish
neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...
. Its domed lantern was conceived as a classical circular temple.
The Observatory houses historic scientific equipment and can be visited by prior arrangement. There is also a library.
Yebes Observatory
Yebes Observatory is a modern facility north-east of Madrid. It is in a rural location near
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
.
See also
*
Yebes Observatory RT40m
The Yebes Observatory RT40m, or ARIESXXI, is a radio telescope which is part of the observatory at Yebes, Spain.
It is a 40-metre Cassegrain–Nasmyth telescope.
Location
The telescope is located at Yebes Observatory (Spanish: ''Centro Astronó ...
References
External links
National Observatory
{{Authority control
Astronomical observatories in Spain
Buildings and structures in Jerónimos neighborhood, Madrid
1790 establishments in Spain