What is an observatory?

Observatories are designed to collect data on stars, planets, galaxies, and other astronomical objects with minimal interference from weather, light pollution, or atmospheric distortion. Ground-based observatories are often built on high, dry mountains for clearer skies, while space observatories avoid Earth’s atmosphere altogether. Famous observatories include Mauna Kea facilities in Hawaii, the Very Large Telescope in Chile, and space missions such as Hubble and Webb. Observatories have been central to nearly every major astronomical discovery, from the expansion of the universe to the discovery of exoplanets.