Royal Observatory

The Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, is a former scientific institution in South Africa. Founded by the British Board of Longitude in 1820, its main building is now the headquarters building of the South African Astronomical Observatory.
Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.
  • Type: Research institute
  • Description: former observatory in Cape Town, South Africa, and headquarters of the South African Astronomical Observatory
  • Also known as: Cape Observatory” and “Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope

Places of Interest Nearby

Highlights include Hartleyvale Stadium and Valkenberg Hospital.

Recreation area
is a field hockey stadium in , , . It was previously used as a soccer stadium by Cape Town City in the National Football League era, as well as by Hellenic during the late 1980s. is situated 540 metres south of Royal Observatory.

Hospital
The is a large, government-funded, tertiary psychiatric hospital in the city of , . It is situated in the suburb of between the banks of the Liesbeek and Black Rivers, overlooking in the distance. is situated 650 metres southeast of Royal Observatory.

Windmill
is the oldest and the largest extant mill in South Africa and was built in 1782 near the Black River. The mill is situated in the Alexandra Hospital in and was declared a National Monument in 1978. is situated 470 metres northeast of Royal Observatory.

Places in the Area

Nearby places include Observatory and Ndabeni.

Suburb
is a suburb in , , colloquially known as Obs. Bordered by to the south and to the northwest, the area is best known as a student neighbourhood associated with the nearby University of Cape Town and .

Suburb
is an industrial suburb of , , mainly occupied by light industries such as textiles and clothing. It is located about 6 km east of Cape Town city centre and is serviced by a railway station.

Suburb
is a suburb of , located near , to the east of Cape Town CBD. The area is noted for its association with the clothing and textiles industry. The name is a translation of the Dutch "Soutrivier".

Royal Observatory

Latitude
-33.93422° or 33° 56′ 3″ south
Longitude
18.47757° or 18° 28′ 39″ east
Open location code
4FRW3F8H+82
Open­Street­Map ID
way 239789864
Open­Street­Map feature
amenity=­research_institute
Open­Street­Map feature
landuse=­observatory
Wiki­data ID
Q15273525
This page is based on OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikipedia.
We’d love your help improving our open data sources. Thank you for contributing.

Satellite Map

Discover Royal Observatory from above in high-definition satellite imagery.

In Other Languages

From Afrikaans to Vietnamese—“Royal Observatory” goes by many names.
  • Afrikaans: Koninklike Sterrewag aan die Kaap die Goeie Hoop
  • Armenian: Թագավորական աստղադիտարան, Բարեհուսո հրվանդան
  • Catalan: Observatori Reial, Cap de Bona Esperança
  • Chinese: 好望角皇家天文台
  • Chinese: 好望角皇家天文臺
  • Dutch: Koninklijk Observatorium, Kaap de Goede Hoop
  • Egyptian Arabic: المرصد الملكى راس الرجاء الصالح
  • French: Observatoire royal du cap de Bonne-Espérance
  • German: Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope
  • German: Royal Observatory
  • Hebrew: מצפה הכוכבים המלכותי בכף התקווה הטובה
  • Italian: osservatorio reale del Capo di Buona Speranza
  • Italian: Osservatorio Reale del Capo di Buona Speranza
  • Italian: Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope
  • Japanese: 喜望峰王立天文台
  • Malay: Balai Cerap Diraja Tanjung Harapan
  • Spanish: Real Observatorio del Cabo de Buena Esperanza
  • Swedish: Royal Observatory
  • Ukrainian: Обсерваторія мису Доброї Надії
  • Vietnamese: Đài thiên văn Hoàng gia, Mũi Hảo Vọng

Places with the Same Name

Discover other places named “Royal Observatory”.

Notable Places Nearby

Highlights include Varsvlei and Malta Park.

Nearby Places

Explore places such as South African Astronomical Observatory and SA Astronomical Observatory Bird Hide.

Western Cape: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into Cape Town, Robben Island, Stellenbosch, and George.

Curious Research Institutes to Discover

Uncover intriguing research institutes from every corner of the globe.