Jena Observatory, Astronomical observatory in Jena, Germany.

Jena Observatory is an astronomical research facility in the city of Jena with multiple telescopes and scientific instruments designed for observing the night sky. The facility operates observation stations at different locations to achieve the best viewing conditions and minimize light pollution effects.

The first observatory was built in 1813, funded by Karl August von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach and planned with the involvement of Johann Wolfgang Goethe; it initially stood in Schiller's house. A larger building was erected on the neighbouring plot in 1889, and Ernst Abbe directed the observatory from 1877 to 1889. In 1962 a forest observatory with a 90-cm reflector opened at Großschwabhausen, 370 m above sea level, to escape Jena's light pollution.

The old main observatory in the city centre now houses the Volkssternwarte Urania, a society of hobbyist astronomers that offers public access, courses for children and adults, and events such as watching comets or lunar eclipses. Two domes stand side by side there, one belonging to the university observatory and one to the public society.

The two domes stand side by side in Jena's city centre: one belongs to the university observatory, the other to the Volkssternwarte Urania, the hobbyist society that runs public access and courses for children and adults there. The forest observatory at Großschwabhausen, at 370 m elevation, is a separate site. Visitors should confirm which location hosts a given event before setting out.

In 1962, a second observation station opened in Großschwabhausen to escape the growing light pollution from the city center. This division of the facility shows how scientists had to adapt to changing environmental conditions.