Royal Observatory of Madrid

ObservatoryMadrid, España

Description

The Royal Observatory of Madrid was founded on the initiative of Charles III at the suggestion of Jorge Juan. The main building, designed by Juan de Villanueva, began construction in 1790 on a small hill located next to what is now the Retiro Park, and at the same time, the renowned astronomer William Herschel was commissioned to build a 60 cm diameter reflecting telescope.

During the visit, the following places are explored:

Villanueva Building: This is the main building of the Observatory. Designed by Juan de Villanueva, it consists of three parts: the central rotunda where the Foucault Pendulum, illustrating the Earth's daily rotation, and the collection of instruments are located; the Repsold Meridian Circle (1854); and the splendid library with numerous antique books. Herschel Telescope: You can admire the replica of William Herschel's Great Telescope, 60 cm in diameter and with a 25-foot focal length, dating from 1796-98, which was destroyed in 1808 during the Napoleonic occupation. Earth and Universe Sciences Hall: This includes a wonderful collection of 19th- and 20th-century instruments of astronomy, geodesy, and geophysics. Since its inception, the Royal Observatory has played a role in the fields of astronomy and earth sciences (solar and stellar physics, Celestial mechanics, official timekeeping, geodesy, cartography, geomagnetism, seismology, meteorology).

Currently, it houses the headquarters of the National Astronomical Observatory and the Central Geophysical Observatory. For the last few decades, the observatory has been a pioneer in the development of radio astronomy in Spain and its applications in astronomical and geodetic studies. It has also launched the Data Reception Center for the new national volcanic monitoring and alert service. These and other activities are shown in the videos available during the visit.