An observatory is a scientific facility used for observing astronomical events. Astronomical observatories are mainly located on high mountains, away from light pollution and bad weather. The best known and most important astronomical observatories are: the Greenwich Observatory in London (United Kingdom), the Paris Observatory in Meudon (France), the Berlin Observatory in Potsdam (Germany) and the Vienna Observatory in Austria.
The first astronomical observatory was built by the Greek scientist Ptolemy in Alexandria around 280 BC. In 1609, Galileo Galilei built an improved telescope with which he discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter. With this discovery, he proved that not all heavenly bodies revolve around the Earth as was previously thought. This finding had a major impact on our understanding of astronomy and paved the way for further discoveries.
Astronomical observatories today use sophisticated equipment to study a wide variety of phenomena in our Universe. They play a vital role in furthering our understanding of astrophysics and cosmology.