Uppsala Astronomical Observatory

What it is

Founded in 1741, this is the oldest astronomical observatory in Sweden. Celsius arranged for Uppsala University to buy an old stone house in central Uppsala and had an observatory built on its roof, where he also lived and worked.

Why it matters

The observatory shows Celsius not just as a scientist in a notebook, but as someone who built lasting institutions. He had traveled across Europe and used what he learned, and instruments he bought abroad, to set up proper astronomical research in Sweden.

Look closer

• Why might Celsius have chosen to live in the same building where he worked?
• What does founding an observatory tell you about Celsius's ambitions for science in Sweden?
• The rooftop observatory itself was later demolished — what does that tell us about how buildings and history change over time?