Welcome to the webpages dedicated to the 200th Anniversary of the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
On the 8th of June 1826, King William I signed the founding charter of the Observatory of Brussels and provided the necessary funds for the construction of the observatory and the acquisition of scientific instruments. The Observatory later became the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) and moved in 1890 to the site where it is now, the plateau in Uccle. Over the past two centuries, ROB has grown into an internationally renowned institute with over 200 employees.
During 2026 and 2027, the Observatory is celebrating its bi-centennial anniversary with a wide range of events and activities. On these webpages you will find information on these, a description of the Observatory and its history and much more.
We keep on adding new material so please make sure to come back!
News
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.