Observatoire de Paris - PSL is a public institution responsible for fundamental and applied research, higher education and the sharing of knowledge in disciplines related to the sciences of the Universe, astronomy and time metrology.
Exploring and understanding the Universe. Teaching and training. Sharing knowledge.
About Paris-PSL Observatory
Founded in 1667, the Observatoire de Paris has been a center of innovation and discovery in astronomy for over 350 years. With 750 researchers and teacher-researchers, engineers, technicians and administrative staff, the establishment conducts research on its 3 campuses in astrophysics, physics, engineering and the metrology of time and space. Its work combines theory, numerics, experimentation, ground-based and space-based observations, and instrumental development.
Paris Observatory produces French legal time, ephemerides of the Sun, Moon and solar system bodies, and operates state-of-the-art radio telescopes at Nançay. It offers academic training (Masters, PhD), training for the general public and teachers, and class sponsorship. It is a founding member of the Université Paris Sciences et Lettres.
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Creation
1667
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Campus
Paris, Meudon, Nançay (France)
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Trainings
6 degree
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Research
6 research and/or support units
News
Exhibitions and information
8 August 2025
Observatoire de Paris - PSL participates to the Journées européennes du Patrimoine 2025
Highlights
5 August 2025
A groundbreaking technical advance with unprecedented support from artificial intelligence
Administrative news
Observatoire de Paris - PSL joins the call to preserve the Palais de la découverte
On July 4, 2025, the Board of Directors of Observatoire de Paris - PSL passed a motion to close the exhibition gallery at the Palais de la découverte.
Highlights
Towards a new definition of the second thanks to a global network of atomic clocks
Published on June 12, 2025 in the journal Optica, an international study presents the simultaneous comparison of ten optical clocks in six countries, via...
Exhibitions and information
Astronomy at Double Science festival
Researchers from the Paris Observatory will lead workshops at the Double Science festival on June 14 and 15, at a booth organized by PSL and shared with its...
Highlights
Thirty years of Franco-Ukrainian cooperation in radio astronomy recognized by the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences
For over three decades, teams at Observatoire de Paris-PSL have been working closely with the Kharkiv Institute of Radio Astronomy (IRA) in Ukraine. This...
News from the labs
Winds, Jets, and Wigglings from Young Stars and Their Disks
An international team of astronomers, including one researcher from Paris Observatory, has observed with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover...
Research
Observatoire de Paris-PSL is a unique research establishment, in terms of its history, reputation and diversity of research fields, as well as its ability to initiate innovative, multidisciplinary research.
The establishment is home to around a quarter of France’s total workforce in astronomy and astrophysics. The diversity of profiles and research themes creates an ecosystem that is unique in France, enabling the development of excellence in both fundamental and applied research, in emblematic fields and at the crossroads of disciplines.
Library
The Collection d’Excellence in Astronomy and Astrophysics, associated with the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, is one of the finest astronomy-physics libraries in the world, and a service entirely dedicated to research.
Joint services
A team dedicated to enhancing the attractiveness of the Paris Observatory and supporting research, teaching and the dissemination of knowledge.
Under the authority of the President, the General Services Manager steers and coordinates these services to ensure, in liaison with the establishment’s scientific departments and services, efficient management of resources and projects, while fostering an environment conducive to staff development.