Last Monday Belgium’s Royal Observatory at Ukkel celebrated its bicentenary. Over the coming months, this milestone will be marked with a series of events and activities, ranging from ‘Astronomy on the Pavement’ to concerts at the planetarium.
It was on 8 June 1826 that King William I of the Netherlands signed the founding charter of the Brussels Observatory – a full four years before the Belgian Revolution of 1830, when the southern provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands seceded.
The first director of the Royal Observatory was the scientist Adolphe Quetelet. “What began as a modest observatory grew into an internationally renowned scientific institute, encompassing astronomy, geophysics, seismology, space meteorology and the study of other planets,” says Director Ronald Van der Linden.
The observatory was later renamed the Royal Observatory of Belgium (KSB or ROB) and moved to its current location in Ukkel (Brussels) in 1890. It had initially been located at the Schaarbeek Gate in Sint-Joost (Brussels).
Public events
To mark its 200th anniversary, the Royal Observatory is organising a series of public events. On 26 and 27 September, open days are being staged on the Ukkel Plateau, when visitors can also explore the Royal Meteorological Institute and the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy. The Humain Radio Astronomical Station in Namur province will also be open to visitors.
The Humain Radio Astronomy Station is a premier Belgian research facility located in Marche-en-Famenne (Luxembourg Province). Managed by Belgium’s Royal Observatory it has specialised in monitoring solar radio emissions and the Earth's space environment since 1953.
Fun for all
The Royal Observatory is also organising a series of free ‘Astronomy on the Pavement’ events. On clear days and evenings, telescopes will be set up in parks and squares across Brussels. Everyone will be welcome to observe the Sun, Moon, planets and stars.
In November and December, lectures are planned at the Palace of the Academies in Brussels. And in January 2027, the Brussels Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will perform four concerts at the Royal Observatory’s planetarium. Thirty musicians, twelve vocalists and a conductor will perform ‘The Planets’ by the English composer Gustav Holst.
The full programme of events is available on the anniversary website: 200year.observatory.be .