Camille Flammarion Observatory

The Camille Flammarion Observatory rises above the Seine valley in Juvisy-sur-Orge, just south of Paris, where the astronomer and popular science writer Camille Flammarion built it as his personal research base in 1883.

About Camille Flammarion Observatory

The observatory now belongs to the Société astronomique de France (SAF), the French astronomical society Flammarion himself founded, which maintains the site and its historic instruments. In March 2010, the building was classified as a historical monument by the French Ministry of Culture in recognition of its scientific and architectural heritage.

History

Flammarion established the observatory in 1883, using it for decades of visual observation and popular writing that brought astronomy to a wide French public. Its dome still houses his original telescope, a 240 mm instrument with a 3,600 mm focal length.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits in Juvisy-sur-Orge in the Essonne department, on the southern edge of the Paris region, easily reached from central Paris by suburban train.

Visiting Camille Flammarion Observatory

The site opens to the public during France's annual Heritage Days (Journées du patrimoine) and during the dedicated Camille Flammarion Days each June. Throughout the year, SAF volunteers also run observation evenings, guiding visitors through the historic instruments and, weather permitting, live views through Flammarion's own telescope.

See your named star from here

On a clear evening, the volunteer astronomers who run sessions here can turn the historic telescope toward almost any point in the sky, including the coordinates of a star named in your honour through Star Register. Find its exact position in our star catalogue before you go.