Walk around and through the Observatory (It's possible to shorten the route near the Mahsa Amini garden)
Sights
- At the Observatory:
At the Observatory itself, you can see the Earth and the moon. These are part of a 1/40,000 scale model of the solar system spanning the entire country. This scale model was designed by Tim Roosen, and the statues were installed at the observatory in 2004, meaning they have been there for over 20 years!
- Statue of King Baudouin on Charles Lagrange Square:
A statue of King Baudouin (1930-1993), created by Uccle sculptor Elisabeth Barmarin, has stood here since 1996. King Baudouin had a lifelong interest in astronomy and regularly visited the Observatory. In 1980, King Baudouin accepted the honorary presidency of the oldest astronomical society in Belgium, the SRBA. The statue is oriented so that it appears as if the king is about to enter the Observatory.
The statue can also serve as a vertical gnomon. When the monarch's shadow falls in the center of the bluestone tiles, true noon has arrived in Uccle.
Charles Lagrange (1851-1932), after whom the square is named, was an astronomer and professor at the Royal Military Academy and director of the scientific headquarters of the Royal Academy. He and several others founded the journal Ciel et Terre of the Belgian Astronomy Society.
In 1882, he traveled to Santiago, Chile, with Louis and Joseph Niesten, to observe the transit of Venus.
He was involved in the Observatory's move to Uccle as assistant to then-director Houzeau, and became the Observatory's director himself between 1898 and 1900, after which Georges Lecointe was appointed his successor.
- Hamoirlaan 28b:
Amateur astronomer and nature lover Paul Dupont (1878-1949) once lived here. He was president of the Belgian Astronomy Society from 1937 to 1939.
He built this house in 1923, incorporating a library, laboratory, and a 5.75-meter-diameter observation dome. This dome housed a 16-cm Bardou refractor from Paris on an equatorial mount. There was also a 13-cm refractor with photographic capabilities. There was also a small transit instrument in the garden with a 3.5 cm aperture to synchronize the clock time with Sidereal Time. He recorded the annular eclipse of April 17, 1912, and these images are among the best available.
- Linkebeek (mural): At the intersection of Alsembergsesteenweg and Rue de Linkebeek, you can admire a beautiful mural of the Observatory.
- Dieweg Cemetery:
This cemetery contains the grave of Hergé, who also lived on this street. Hergé had close ties and often visited the Observatory. We see this special relationship reflected in the comic strip "The Mysterious Star," in which Tintin seeks advice at the Observatory.
- Geodetic point:
An altimetric point is located near the railway viaduct (middle pillar) on Sint-Jobsteenweg (south side, 105 cm from the right, 47 cm above the ground). Determining the shape and size of the Earth is the main goal of geodesy. By modeling the Earth, we can describe the position of all points on its surface using geographic coordinates. Can you find the point? Look at the photo to see what to look for.
Walk around and through the Observatory (It's possible to shorten the route near the Mahsa Amini garden)
Sights
- At the Observatory:
At the Observatory itself, you can see the Earth and the moon. These are part of a 1/40,000 scale model of the solar system spanning the entire country. This scale model was designed by Tim Roosen, and the statues were installed at the observatory in 2004, meaning they have been there for over 20 years!
- Statue of King Baudouin on Charles Lagrange Square:
A statue of King Baudouin (1930-1993), created by Uccle sculptor Elisabeth Barmarin, has stood here since 1996. King Baudouin had a lifelong interest in astronomy and regularly visited the Observatory. In 1980, King Baudouin accepted the honorary presidency of the oldest astronomical society in Belgium, the SRBA. The statue is oriented so that it appears as if the king is about to enter the Observatory.
The statue can also serve as a vertical gnomon. When the monarch's shadow falls in the center of the bluestone tiles, true noon has arrived in Uccle.
Charles Lagrange (1851-1932), after whom the square is named, was an astronomer and professor at the Royal Military Academy and director of the scientific headquarters of the Royal Academy. He and several others founded the journal Ciel et Terre of the Belgian Astronomy Society.
In 1882, he traveled to Santiago, Chile, with Louis and Joseph Niesten, to observe the transit of Venus.
He was involved in the Observatory's move to Uccle as assistant to then-director Houzeau, and became the Observatory's director himself between 1898 and 1900, after which Georges Lecointe was appointed his successor.
- Hamoirlaan 28b:
Amateur astronomer and nature lover Paul Dupont (1878-1949) once lived here. He was president of the Belgian Astronomy Society from 1937 to 1939.
He built this house in 1923, incorporating a library, laboratory, and a 5.75-meter-diameter observation dome. This dome housed a 16-cm Bardou refractor from Paris on an equatorial mount. There was also a 13-cm refractor with photographic capabilities. There was also a small transit instrument in the garden with a 3.5 cm aperture to synchronize the clock time with Sidereal Time. He recorded the annular eclipse of April 17, 1912, and these images are among the best available.
- Linkebeek (mural): At the intersection of Alsembergsesteenweg and Rue de Linkebeek, you can admire a beautiful mural of the Observatory.
- Dieweg Cemetery:
This cemetery contains the grave of Hergé, who also lived on this street. Hergé had close ties and often visited the Observatory. We see this special relationship reflected in the comic strip "The Mysterious Star," in which Tintin seeks advice at the Observatory.
- Geodetic point:
An altimetric point is located near the railway viaduct (middle pillar) on Sint-Jobsteenweg (south side, 105 cm from the right, 47 cm above the ground). Determining the shape and size of the Earth is the main goal of geodesy. By modeling the Earth, we can describe the position of all points on its surface using geographic coordinates. Can you find the point? Look at the photo to see what to look for.