Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon
| Lisbon Astronomical Observatory (Observatório Astronómico de Lisboa) | |
| Tapada da Ajuda Astronomical Observatory, D. Luís I Astronomical Observatory | |
| Astronomical Observatory (Observatório Astronómico) | |
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| Official name: Observatório Astronómico de Lisboa/Observatório Astronómico da Tapada da Ajuda/Observatório Astronómico D. Luís | |
| Named for: Tapada da Ajuda | |
| Country |  Portugal |
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| Region | Lisbon |
| Subregion | Greater Lisbon |
| District | Lisbon |
| Municipality | Lisbon |
| Location | Beato |
| - elevation | 140 m (459 ft) |
| - coordinates | 38°42′37.94″N 9°11′15.02″W / 38.7105389°N 9.1875056°WCoordinates: 38°42′37.94″N 9°11′15.02″W / 38.7105389°N 9.1875056°W |
| Architects | Jean François Gille Colson, José da Costa Sequeira, Valentim José Correia |
| Materials | Mixed masonry, Limestone, Wood, Wrought and cast iron |
| Origin | 1812 |
| - Initiated | 6 May 1878 |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| For public | Public |
| Easiest access | Rua do Sítio do Casalinho da Ajuda; Calçada da Tapada |
| Management | Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico |
| Status | Unclassified |
| Listing | Included in the classification of the group of Tapada da Ajuda (IPA.00006105) |
 Location of the observatory within the municipality of Lisbon
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Website: www |
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The Lisbon Astronomical Observatory (Portuguese: Observatório Astronómico de Lisboa) is an astronomical observatory located in Tapada da Ajuda, in the civil parish of Alcântara, municipality of Lisbon. Recognized internationally for its quality of work in the field of positioning astronomy (since the 19th century), in 1992, it became a dependency of the University of Lisbon (and later, part of the Faculty of Sciences), responsible for scientific and historical research, along with media relations.
From an 1812 map, there existed in the Alto da Casa Branca in the Tapada of Ajuda an older observatory.
The observatory was born from great controversy between French astronomer Hervé Faye (1814-1902), then director of the Observatory of Paris, and Peters, an astronomer at the Russian Observatory of Pulkova, on the parallax of the star of Argelander. The construction of the Lisbon observatory was due to a strong desire to build an institution that was a reference in Portuguese culture. It was established in the mid-19th century with the aim of promoting new Sidereal Astronomy, discovery and understanding of the infinite cosmos, and concern about the exact mapping of the sky and measuring the size of the universe. In 1850, Hervé Faye and Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (1793-1864) proposed that astronomical observations should be taken in Lisbon, being the first and "unique locale in all of continental Europe that the zenithal telescope could encounter the marvelous Argelander star". In order to do so, it was necessary to build a new observatory where you could install the appropriate equipment. The Count of Lavradio proposed that the government's chamber of peers should acquire Faye's telescope.
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Wikipedia