Address: 61 avenue de l’Observatoire, 75014 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Space Science & Planetology, Metrology of Time & Space
Louis XIV founded the Paris Observatory in 1667 at the urging of his minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert, and Britannica calls it the national astronomical observatory of France. The historic building stands in the 14th arrondissement of Paris and was enlarged in 1730, 1810, 1834, 1850 and 1951.
The institution does not work from one place only. Its Meudon site, whose solar observatory it took over in 1926, and the Nançay radio astronomy station extend its observing and research base. Today it belongs to Université PSL and carries out research in astronomy and astrophysics.
Timekeeping has been part of its history: the Paris building housed the International Time Bureau, which Wikipedia says was dissolved in 1987. More information on laboratories and programmes is on observatoiredeparis.psl.eu.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Astroscience, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Mathematics, Metrology, Optics, Physics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Telecommunications
Diplomas*:
Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Constituent college of Université PSL. Collaborations with CNRS, CNES, ESA, ESO, and international observatories.
Research:
Stellar and galactic astrophysics, Cosmology and structure formation, Planetary science and exoplanets, Celestial mechanics and time-frequency metrology, Space instrumentation.
Famous Alumnis:
Urbain Le Verrier, François Arago, Pierre-Simon Laplace (associated)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
500
Current students***:
200
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
World-renowned astronomical observatory, leading research in astrophysics, offers specialized master and doctoral programs.
Cons
Highly specialized in astronomy and astrophysics.
Best For
Leading astronomical observatory for research and higher education in astronomy and astrophysics.
Institut Pierre Simon Laplace: a public federation of Earth-system laboratories working on climate, atmosphere and ocean science.
ESPCI Paris - PSL: a PSL school in Paris in physics, chemistry and bioengineering.
IHES: a research institute at Bures-sur-Yvette for mathematics and theoretical physics.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
National University of Córdoba in Argentina is a public university whose list of fields includes astronomy alongside engineering.
Balseiro Institute in Argentina is a small institute in Bariloche for physics and nuclear engineering.
University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway in Norway has arctic research, marine biology and space physics.
Nanjing University in China is a public university covering physics, chemistry, mathematics and earth sciences.
Charles University in the Czech Republic is a public university with sciences, mathematics and physics in Prague's historic centre.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Who created the Paris Observatory?
Louis XIV founded it in 1667, prompted by Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Britannica and Wikipedia agree on this royal origin.
Where are its sites?
The historic building is in Paris, and the observatory has a campus at Meudon and a radio astronomy station at Nançay.
When did Meudon join?
The Paris Observatory took over the solar observatory at Meudon in 1926, as Britannica states.
Is it part of a university?
Yes, it is part of Université PSL, and it carries out research in astronomy and astrophysics.
What is its link with time standards?
The International Time Bureau was housed at the Paris building, and the observatory has worked on time reference since. Wikipedia places the end of the bureau in 1987.
How can I find visiting or study information?
The institution's website, observatoiredeparis.psl.eu, is the place to start.
Astrophysics, Environmental Impact, Space, Space Exploration
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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