Paris Observatory

Paris Observatory - PSL

Alternative names	Observatoire de Paris
Location	France
Coordinates	48°48′18″N 2°14′00″E / 48.8051°N 2.23337°E / 48.8051; 2.23337
Established	1667 (1667)
Website	www.observatoiredeparis.psl.eu
Telescopes
East Tower 38 cm (15 in) Equatorial refractor
Location of Paris Observatory - PSL
Related media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

The Paris Observatory (French: Observatoire de Paris, pronounced [ɔbsɛʁvatwaʁ də paʁi]), a research institution of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centers in the world. 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 founded in 1667.^[1].Construction was completed by the early 1670s and coincided with a major push for increased science, and the founding of the Royal Academy of Sciences.^{[2][self-published source?]} King Louis XIV's minister of finance organized a "scientific powerhouse" to increase understanding of astronomy, maritime navigation, and science in general.^[2]

Through the centuries the Paris Observatory has continued in support of astronomical activities, and in the 21st century connects multiple sites and organizations, supporting astronomy and science, past and present.^{[3] [4]}