The Vienna Observatory () is an astronomical observatory in Vienna, Austria. It is part of the University of Vienna. The first observatory was built in 1753–1754 on the roof of one of the university buildings.
A new observatory was built between 1874 and 1879, and was finally inaugurated by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1883. The main dome houses a refractor with a diameter of and a focal length of built by the Grubb Telescope Company. At that time, it was the world's largest refracting telescope.
Land for the new observatory was purchased in 1872, and was noted for having increased elevations (about 150 ft) above the city. Construction started in March 1874, and it was opened with new instruments in 1877. The overall design had various rooms and three main domes, one for the Grubb refractor and then two smaller domes, and some terraces.
At this time there were larger aperture reflecting telescopes, and the main technologies of metal mirror and silver on glass; however they had not yet established a strong reputation for themselves and there continued a strong interest in refractors for better or worse until the 20th century.
A report published in the publication Nature in notes that the 69 cm / 27-inch Grubb observed planets, comets, and nebula between 1903 and 1906. Observations with a 6-inch Fraunhofer refractor telescope of comets and planets between 1903 and 1910 was also noted.
Directors
1756–1792Maximilian Hell
1792–1817Franz de Paula Triesnecker
1819–1840Johann Josef von Littrow
1842–1877Karl Ludwig von Littrow
1877–1908Edmund Weiss
1928–1938Kasimir Graff
1940–1945Bruno Thüring
1945–1949Kasimir Graff
1951–1962Josef Hopmann
1962–1979Josef Meurers
1979–1981Karl Rakos
1981–1984Werner Tscharnuter
1984–1986Michel Breger
1986–1994Paul Jackson
1994–2005Michel Breger
2006–2009Gerhard Hensler
2009–2011Franz Kerschbaum
2011–2012Manuel Güdel
2012–2013João Alves
2013–2018Bodo Ziegler
2018–2022Manuel Güdel
2022–pres.Glenn van de Ven
See also
List of largest optical refracting telescopes
Kuffner Observatory (Established in the 1886, also in Vienna) List of Jesuit sites