observatory

American  

[uhb-zur-vuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / əbˈzɜr vəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun

• observatories
  plural

1. a place or building equipped and used for making observations of astronomical, meteorological, or other natural phenomena, especially a place equipped with a powerful telescope for observing the planets and stars.

2. an institution that controls or carries on the work of such a place.

3. a place or structure that provides an extensive view; lookout.

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observatory British  

/ -trɪ, əbˈzɜːvətərɪ /

noun

1. an institution or building specially designed and equipped for observing meteorological and astronomical phenomena

2. any building or structure providing an extensive view of its surroundings

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• observatories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of observatory

1670–80; < Latin observā ( re ) to observe + -tory ²

Explanation

An observatory is a structure that holds a large telescope for observing the stars and planets or some celestial event. If you want to check out a lunar eclipse, then head to your nearest observatory. Observatories for examining the distant sky are typically located far from large cities, since light pollution makes it more difficult to see celestial bodies like stars and planets, or events like meteor showers. Another kind of observatory is quite simply a very tall, often skinny building meant for looking down over a city or its coastline. Observatory comes from the verb observe, or "watch," which in turn is rooted in the Latin observare, "watch over or guard."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

observatory observatories

It had an observatory and planetarium and featured custom-built domes, specialized solar-observation telescopes, and a natural science education centre.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Lodge said he had travelled to Brough specially to get the glasses and watch the eclipse as it had the largest astronomy observatory in the area.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

During the broadcast, Javier Cenarro, Director of the observatory, will discuss Javalambre and explain its significance for a future ESA space science mission.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

The observatory is also well suited for eclipse viewing.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

Alone in the observatory late one night, I heard the telephone ring persistently.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

It survives on aging observatories, international cooperation and a scientific community small enough to fit in a lecture hall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

An international research team led by Hiroshima University confirmed the galactic accelerator after combining observations from three major observatories operating on Earth and in space.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

Before radio astronomy was pioneered by people like Lovell, most observatories used visible light to detect objects in space.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The cut comes at a time when other countries are investing in their own national observatories to prepare for, what many astronomers believe will be, the dawn of a golden age in radio astronomy.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

In our history it was some horde of furry little mammals who hid from the dinosaurs, colonized the treetops and later scampered down to domesticate fire, invent writing, construct observatories and launch space vehicles.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan