Picking our favourite observatories is like trying to choose your favourite ice cream flavour in a world of endless possibilities. It’s tough, it’s almost impossible, but like choosing a favourite child, we’re going to try.
Join us as we dive into some of our top picks, but consider this as something more like a snapshot of some of our favourites. And remember, like with your children, you might have a favourite but they’re all special in their own individual way.
Optical observations of the universe
When most people think of astronomy and observatories, they think of optical astronomy — and with good reason!
ESO’s Paranal Observatory
The ESO’s Paranal Observatory rests 2,635 metres above sea level in Chile’s Atacama Desert, giving it some of the best astronomical observing conditions on the planet. Paranal is home to some of the world’s most advanced optical telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope (VLT).
Astronomers using the VLT have made countless scientific discoveries, including the first image of a planet outside the Solar System, tracking individual stars moving around the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, and observing the afterglow of the furthest known Gamma-Ray Burst.
Arkaroola Astronomical Observatory
Closer to home, we love the Arkaroola Astronomical Observatory on Adnyamathanha Country in the Arkaroola International Dark-Sky Sanctuary.
Like the Paranal Observatory’s Atacama Desert, the dry air and elevation of South Australia’s Flinders Rangers give astronomers and stargazers some of the best viewing conditions.
For dark sky enthusiasts wanting to experience the area’s exceptionally dark and starry night skies, all three of Arkaroola’s observatories welcome professional and amateur astronomers.
Lowell Observatory
In 1930, American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh was a young researcher working at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.
While comparing images in a search for a theorised ninth planet, Tombaugh discovered a moving object – and it was where the observatory’s founder, Percival Lowell, predicted the missing planet would be. Pluto is now considered a Dwarf Planet and the first identified Kuiper belt-object.
Seeing the invisible universe with radio astronomy observatories
Radio astronomy is like optical astronomy’s best friend, and astronomers have recognised countless radio sources in space. From stars and galaxies, to quasars and pulsars, radio astronomy makes the invisible universe bright.
Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory
One of the best locations in the world to operate telescopes detecting radio signals from space is right here in Western Australia on Wajarri Yamaji Country.
Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, CSIRO’s Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, hosts Curtin University’s Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope, and Arizona State University’s Experiment to Detect the Global Epoch of Reionization Signature (EDGES).
There are too many amazing discoveries by ASKAP and MWA to try and list them all, but you can include among them a new type of stellar object that challenges our understanding of neutron stars, and astronomers used six fast radio bursts observed with ASKAP to measure the intergalactic medium.
Even better, the international SKA Observatory (SKAO) is building the world’s largest and most capable radio telescopes on the site, the SKA-Low telescope.
Parkes Observatory
Away from Western Australia, the NSW town of Parkes is home to the Parkes Observatory and one of the most famous radio telescopes. Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, is the star of the 2000 movie The Dish, based on the telescope’s responsibility for relaying signals to NASA during the 1969 Moon landing.
Other achievements by astronomers using the 64-metre telescope include tracking for the Voyager missions and the discovery of the first known ‘fast radio burst’. Professor Matthew Bailes recently received the 2024 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for his role in the discovery using Murriyang.
Observing the universe with space lasers
The National Science Foundation (NSF)’s LIGO is a pair of cutting edge pair ground-based observatories. Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory is detecting ripples in the fabric of spacetime. How cool is that?
When black holes collide, they send shockwaves across the universe. LIGO is shooting lasers at mirrors at the end of gigantic L-shaped tunnels, and watching for the slightest fluctuation. Best of all, it works. In 2016, scientists announced the first confirmed observation of gravitational waves from merging black holes.
Some observatories have a little bit of everything
Maunakea Observatories
Atop Maunakea on Hawaiʻi Island, Maunakea Observatories are a collection of ten independent, nonprofit organisations observing our expanding universe.
Maunakea hosts optical, near infrared, sub-millimeter, and radio astronomy facilities and among astronomers’ notable work so far are discovering the universe’s accelerating rate of expansion due to dark energy, a supermassive black hole in our galaxy.
Indian Astronomical Observatory
The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) sits at 4,500 meters above sea level on a mountain in the Himalayas. The IAO is one of the world’s highest located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes, and the tenth-highest optical telescope in the world.
Among piles of great work, IAO astronomers are examining the inner workings of the sun, and studying how dark matter affects the stability of galaxies.
Observatories of the ancient world
We could honestly go on for days talking about observatories! But before we finish, we want to also credit some of the world’s surviving and most ancient observatories.
Cheomseongdae Observatory
The Cheomseongdae Observatory in Gyeongju, South Korea, is Asia’s oldest surviving astronomical observatory. Built between 632 and 647, some historians think it may be one of the oldest observatories in the whole world.
El Caracol
In Chichén Itzá, the ancient Mayan city in Mexico, El Caracol is a stone tower dating back to the 10th century. The building stands around 23 metres tall and would have given astronomers of the time a 360-degree view of the night sky.
Radkan Tower
The Radkan Tower in present-day Iran has survived since the 13th century. The tower was created by the Persian polymath, scientist, and astronomer, Nasir al-Din Tusi, who is credited with creating accurate tables of planetary motion and an updated planetary model.
Per-Wadjet
A recently discovered observatory in Egypt’s Per-Wadjet makes other ancient observatories seem comparatively modern. In August this year, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced they had uncovered a 2,500-year-old astronomical observatory in Kafr El-Sheikh that shattered their expectations.
Whether you’re travelling near or far to search the night sky’s stars, why not check out an observatory on your next trip.
Jay Chesters is a freelance journalist, feature writer, and award-winning author. With a particular passion for stargazing and astronomy, Jay enjoys any opportunity to share stories or pass on what they know.
Jay Chesters
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