- Stockholm Observatory
The Stockholm Observatory (Swedish: "Stockholms observatorium") is an astronomical institution in Stockholm, Sweden, founded in the 18th century and today part of
Stockholm University . Its history is connected to two actual historical observatory complexes in the Stockholm area.The first observatory was established by the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on the initiative of its secretaryPer Elvius . Construction, according to designs by the architectCarl Hårleman , was begun in 1748, and the building was completed in 1753. The first head of the observatory wasPehr Wilhelm Wargentin . Later heads of the observatory includeHugo Gyldén andBertil Lindblad .This 18th century observatory today functions as a museum. A newer observatory was built in
Saltsjöbaden outside Stockholm and completed in 1931 (the architect this time beingAxel Anderberg ; seeSaltsjöbaden Observatory ). More recent astronomical observations, however, are almost exclusively being done in observatories outside Sweden and closer to the equator.The research institute was transferred from the Academy to the university in 1973 and is since2001 housed in the
AlbaNova University Centre.The young
Hjalmar Branting , later the first social democratic prime minister of Sweden, was employed as a mathematics assistant at the Stockholm Observatory 1879-1880 and 1882-1883.External links
* [http://www.observatoriet.kva.se/engelska/index.html Observatory Museum (The Old Stockholm Observatory)]
* [http://www.astro.su.se/English/index.html Stockholm Observatory] , official website of new observatory
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