††Observatories are buildings in which astronomical equipment, such as telescopes, are housed. They are often situated in areas where the climate is predictable and the skies are clear. This ensures that the night sky can be viewed as clearly as possible.
One of the first observatories was built around the 3rd century AD at Alexandria in Egypt. It remained there for more than 800 years.
During the second half of the 20th century, people were finally able to view space without the barrier of the Earth's atmosphere. A range of instruments have now been sent into space, including the large and sophisticated Hubble telescope. Using this new equipment the universe can be studied in significantly greater detail.
