Belgium's national astronomical observatory, founded in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode in 1826 by King William I of the Netherlands at the petition of astronomer Adolphe Quetelet, and relocated to its present site in the Uccle district of Brussels between 1883 and 1890. Operated by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, it has discovered 13 minor planets, has hosted the World Data Center for the Sunspot Index since 1981, and once housed a 100-centimeter Zeiss reflector that ranked among the largest telescopes in the world in the early twentieth century.
Facts
Observatory Typenational astronomical observatory, part of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office 1 LocationUccle municipality of Brussels, Belgium 1 Measuresreference systems and geodynamics, astrometry and dynamics of celestial bodies, astrophysics, and Solar physics 1 Operating Principleowns astronomical instruments including astrographs and seismograph equipment, successor to an earlier 100 cm Zeiss reflector 1 Classification
Observing Band FAQs
How did Belgium mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Observatory of Belgium?
A special Belgian 2-euro coin and five Bpost stamps marked the observatory's 200th anniversary in 2026.
The 200th anniversary of the Royal Observatory of Belgium was marked in two public ways in 2026. The Federal Public Service Finance issued a Belgian 2-euro coin for the occasion, shared with the 50th anniversary of the National Geographic Institute. Since 31 August 2026, collectors have also been able to buy five stamps at Bpost that show instruments linked to the observatory.
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Source Wikipedia: Royal Observatory of Belgium
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: Royal Observatory of Belgium
Lead paragraph, sentence 2
It is part of the institutions of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO).
Lead paragraph, sentence 1
The Royal Observatory of Belgium has been situated in the Uccle municipality of Brussels since 1890.
Lead paragraph, founding clause
The Royal Observatory was first established in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode in 1826 by King William I of the Netherlands under the impulse of the astronomer and mathematician Adolphe Quetelet.
Lead paragraph, activities clause
Its main activities are reference systems and geodynamics, astrometry and dynamics of celestial bodies, astrophysics, and Solar physics.
Instruments section
It now owns a variety of other astronomical instruments, such as astrographs, as well as a range of seismograph equipment.
Article text: band optical
100 cm (39 in) diameter aperture Zeiss reflector
In Group: Optical Observatories of Europe, Lead sentence
The Royal Observatory of Belgium (Dutch: Koninklijke Sterrenwacht van België; French: Observatoire royal de Belgique; German: Königliche Sternwarte von Belgien) has been situated in the Uccle municipality of Brussels since 1890.
Operated By: Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, Article text: operator
It is part of the institutions of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO).
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