Union Observatory

Union Observatory, also known as Transvaal Observatory, Republic Observatory and Johannesburg Observatory, is a defunct astronomical in , that operated from 1903 to 1971.
assa.saao.ac.za
Wikipedia
  • Type: Observatory
  • Description: decommissioned astronomical observatory
  • Also known as: “078 JB”, “Johannesburg Observatory”, and “Republic Observatory”

Places of Interest Nearby

Highlights include Johannesburg Stadium and King Edward VII School.

Stadium
Photo: NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a , in the Doornfontein suburb of , Gauteng Province, . The stadium has a sweeping roof and can accommodate 37,500 people. is situated 1½ km southwest of Union Observatory.

School
is a English medium high school for boys situated within the city of in 's Province, one of the historically significant Milner Schools. is situated 1½ km northwest of Union Observatory.

Residential building
Photo: Geoffrey Hancock, CC BY-SA 2.0.
is a skyscraper in the district of , , just next to . It was built in 1975 to a height of 173 m, and was the tallest residential skyscraper in Africa for 48 years, until overtaken in 2023 by Building D01, in 's New Administrative Capital. is situated 2 km west of Union Observatory.

Places in the Area

Nearby places include Jeppestown and Dewetshof.

Suburb
Photo: Darly Nkuna, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a suburb of , . It is located in Region F of the .

Suburb
is a suburb of , . It lies around 5.5 km northeast of City Hall between Observatory and Cyrildene, north of Observatory Hill.

Suburb
Photo: NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is an residential neighbourhood of , , . It is characterized by a high population density and has experienced issues associated with municipal disinvestment, including elevated levels of unemployment, poverty, prostitution, and crime. is situated 2½ km west of Union Observatory.

Union Observatory

Latitude
-26.18419° or 26° 11′ 3″ south
Longitude
28.07455° or 28° 4′ 28″ east
Inception
1903
Open location code
5G5CR38F+8R
Open­Street­Map ID
way 742186160
Open­Street­Map feature
building=­yes
Open­Street­Map feature
man_made=­observatory
Wiki­data ID
Q2564753
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 Union Observatory from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
© Stadia Maps, Airbus DS, CNES, PlanetObserver, and Copernicus

In Other Languages

From Armenian to Urdu—“Union Observatory” goes by many names.
  • Armenian: “Յոհանեսբուրգի աստղադիտարան”
  • Catalan: “Observatori Unió”
  • Chinese: “聯合天文台”
  • Dutch: “Union Observatorium”
  • Egyptian Arabic: “مرصد الاتحاد”
  • Esperanto: “Observatorio de la Unio”
  • French: “observatoire de l’Union”
  • French: “Observatoire de l’Union”
  • German: “Union-Observatorium”
  • Indonesian: “Observatorium Union”
  • Indonesian: “Union Observatory”
  • Italian: “Osservatorio Union”
  • Italian: “Union Observatory”
  • Japanese: “トランスバール州気象局”
  • Japanese: “ユニオン天文台”
  • Latin: “Observatorium Unionis”
  • Luxembourgish: “Union-Observatoire”
  • Norwegian Bokmål: “Union Observatory”
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: “Union Observatory”
  • Norwegian: “Union Observatory”
  • Polish: “Union Observatory”
  • Portuguese: “Observatório União”
  • Romanian: “Union Observatory”
  • Russian: “Republic Observatory”
  • Russian: “Transvaal Meteorological Department”
  • Russian: “Transvaal Observatory”
  • Russian: “Union Observatory”
  • Russian: “Республиканская обсерватория Йоханнесбурга”
  • Spanish: “Observatorio Union”
  • Swedish: “Union Observatory”
  • Ukrainian: “Республіканська обсерваторія”
  • Urdu: “یونین آبزرویٹری”
  • Urdu: “یونین رصدگاہ”

Notable Places Nearby

Highlights include Observatory Driving range. and Bellevue Park.

Nearby Places

Explore places such as Innes House and South African Institute of Electrical Engineers.

Gauteng: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, and Cradle of Humankind.

Curious Observatories to Discover

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