Observatory

An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Observatories can be used for a variety of scientific disciplines, including astronomy, climatology, geology, meteorology, and volcanology. The word "observatory" is derived from the Latin word observare, which means "to watch". In Hebrew, an observatory is called מִצְפֵּה (mitspe). In Spanish, it is observatorio, in French observatoire, and in German Observatorium. Historically, observatories were as simple as containing an astronomical sextant (for measuring the distance between two objects) or Stonehenge (which, in addition to being a temple, could have been used as a simple observatory). Modern observatories often contain one or more telescopes or other instruments, and may be situated on the ground, in an aircraft, a spacecraft, or even in outer space itself. Some observatories are used for two or more of these sciences. For example, the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii is used for both atmospheric and astronomical research. The South Pole Observatory is largely for neutrino and cosmic ray detection.