Marine observatory
A marine observatory is a scientific institution whose main task is the observations in the fields of meteorology , geomagnetism and tides, which are important for marine and civil shipping . Usually an observatory is also attached. Some of these observatories also deal with nautical weather forecasts and storm warnings, with astronomical time service and with seismology .
Important observatories are and were among others:
- the United States Naval Observatory
- the Royal Greenwich Observatory
- the naval observatory Paris
- the Deutsche Seewarte in Hamburg (today the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency )
- the Pola Marine Observatory
- the naval observatories in Venice and Genoa
- the Observatorio de la Armada in San Fernando
- the former naval observatory in Tsingtau
Probably the first nautical observatory was built around 1450 on the Portuguese Algarve coast near Lagos . It was an initiative of Prince Henry the Navigator . He wanted to promote not only navigation and neighboring sciences, but also Portuguese trade with West Africa .