Odesa Astronomical Observatory

Odesa Astronomical Observatory is a research facility at Odesa University housed in a round tower designed by architect Oleksandr Bernardatstsi. Inside, it holds roughly 100,000 photographic plates from decades of night sky observations.

The observatory was founded in 1871 as part of Imperial Novorossiya University, initially studying Mercury transits. This early work also served the needs of ships and maritime navigation.

In the late 1800s, staff members controlled when the city's gas street lamps turned on and kept the main clock running on time. This work tied the observatory directly to how Odesa functioned each day.

The site sits on Odesa University's campus and is easy to locate by looking for the distinctive round tower. It is a modest facility, so a quiet visit allows you to see the historical spaces without feeling rushed.

The facility once housed Ukraine's only telescope manufacturing factory and operates the country's largest telescope at a separate station called Maiaky. This production work shaped optical manufacturing across the nation for many years.

Location: Odesa

Part of: Odesa University

Website: http://astro-observ.odessa.ua

GPS coordinates: 46.47728,30.75561

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:21