The Royal Observatory of Belgium opens the dome of its large refractor for a unique nocturnal visit!
Visit the dome of the old refractor, experience how astronomers carried out their observations in the past, listen to short talks about astronomy. If the weather is clear, you will be able to observe objects in the sky with the historical instrument as well as with smaller, modern ones on the site.
Several (free) visits are planned. Registration is mandatory
Find more practical information here.
The first episode of Onder de koepels van Ukkel / Sous les coupoles d'Uccle, the new podcast of the Royal Observatory of Belgium, is now available!
Every month, our scientists take you behind the scenes of their research. The episodes alternate between Dutch and French.
This first episode 'Le bruit de la Terre' is in French. Together with Raphael de Plaen you can discover how seismic noise helps us understand the climate, the subsurface and natural hazards.
8 June 2026 marks the 200th anniversary of the Royal Observatory of Belgium. To mark the occasion, the institute organises a wide range of activities, with events scheduled right through to 2027. These are regularly updated on the Observatory’s 200th anniversary website: 200year.observatory.be.
Have you always wanted to learn more about the Sun and its eruptions? Now’s your chance! The Solar Physics and Space Weather Department is opening its doors! From hand-drawn sketches of sunspots to the most detailed images ever taken of the solar corona: you’ll be taken on a journey through 200 years of history.
On 14 April, we are organising guided tours in Dutch and French. Everyone is welcome.
You can find all information to register here.
The Palace of Academies is the headquarters of the Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium) and its Flemish counterpart, the Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten (KVAB).
The Royal Observatory of Belgium will celebrate its 200th anniversary with a series of concerts at the Planetarium performed by the Brussels Philharmonic.
Thirty musicians, twelve female voices and one conductor will perform The Planets by Gustav Holst.
Four concerts are planned for January 2027, two on Saturday 23 January and two on Sunday 24 January.
Tickets will be available soon.