Sheshan Observatory

Sheshan Observatory stands on Sheshan Hill in Shanghai's Songjiang District, one of the oldest astronomical observatories in China.

About Sheshan Observatory

Sheshan Observatory was founded around 1899 by French Jesuits and became the first observatory in China dedicated solely to astronomical observation. Its original 1900 instrument, a 40 cm refractive telescope, was the largest optical telescope in East Asia at the time and was used to observe Halley's Comet on two occasions.

History

The observatory was nationalized in the 1950s, and in 1962 it merged with Xujiahui Observatory to become the Sheshan Station of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. The Shanghai Astronomical Museum was established on the site in 2004 and renovated in 2021.

Telescopes & research

Beyond its historic 40 cm refractor, the site's museum collection today includes a Palan meridian instrument, a 40 cm double astrograph, a 60 cm satellite laser, and a 25 cm radio telescope, tracing the observatory's evolution from 19th-century optical astronomy to modern space-tracking instruments.

Location & getting there

Sheshan Observatory is located on Sheshan Hill in Shanghai, China, in the Asia region, within easy reach of central Shanghai.

Visiting Sheshan Observatory

The site is now home to the Shanghai Astronomical Museum, renovated in 2021, which is generally open to the public as a heritage and science attraction. Check current hours and ticketing before visiting.

See your named star from here

A site with more than a century of tracking comets and stars is a fitting place to think about a named star's own coordinates. Name a star and find it in the catalogue.