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| Alternative names | Observatory Sonnenborgh |
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| Organization | University of Utrecht |
| Observatory code | 015 |
| Location | Utrecht,Netherlands |
| Coordinates | 52°05′12″N5°07′48″E / 52.08667°N 5.13000°E /52.08667; 5.13000 |
| Established | 1853 |
| Website | www |
  Location of Sonnenborgh Observatory | |
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Sonnenborgh Observatory (Dutch:Museum Sterrenwacht Sonnenborgh; Sonnenborgh museum & sterrenwacht;obs. code:015) is anastronomical observatory andmuseum open to thepublic, located inUtrecht,Netherlands. It is located in one of the four stone forts built byCharles V as defense buildings for Utrecht. In 1639 the fort was expanded with an academicherbal garden by members ofUtrecht University, three years after its founding. The garden was moved in 1724 to the current location of theOude Hortus. During reconstruction works in 2001 remains were found of the first chemicallaboratory in Utrecht, third in the world. The lab was led by the first chemistry-only professor in UtrechtJohann Conrad Barchusen.
The observatory was founded byC. H. D. Buys Ballot in 1853 as a university observatory (of theUniversity of Utrecht)[1] and from 1854 until 1897 it was the first home of theRoyal Dutch Meteorological Institute. After the meteorological institute moved tode Bilt it was operated again by Utrecht University.
In 2013 its main function became a museum, organising viewing evenings for amateur astronomists. It is located on, what is now, the only survivingbastion of the city walls of Utrecht. Among the directors of the observatory wereJean Abraham Chrétien Oudemans,Martin Hoek,Albertus Antonie Nijland,Marcel Minnaert andKees de Jager. The main topic of research was theSun, which resulted in 1940 in the publication of theUtrecht Atlas of the solarspectrum.
In 2021, TheEuropean Physical Society (EPS) named it as an official EPS Historic Site.[2][3]
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