282 HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY. 



Sect. 2. Observatories. 



ASTRONOMY, which is thus benefited by the erection 

 of large and stable instruments, requires also the 

 establishment of permanent Observatories, supplied 

 with funds for their support, and for that of the 

 observers. Such observatories have existed at all 

 periods of the history of the science ; but from the 

 commencement of the period which we are now 

 reviewing, they multiplied to such an extent that 

 we cannot even enumerate them. Yet we must 

 undoubtedly look upon such establishments, and 

 the labours of which they have been the scene, as 

 important and essential parts of the history of the 

 progress of astronomy. Some of the most distin- * 

 guished of the observatories of modern times we 

 may mention. The first of these were that of Tycho 

 Brahe at Uraniburg, and that of the Landgrave of 

 Hesse Cassel, at Cassel, where Rothman and Byrgius 

 observed. But by far the most important observa- 

 tions, at least since those of Tycho which were the 

 basis of the discoveries of Kepler and Newton, have 

 been made at Paris and Greenwich. The observa- 

 tory of Paris was built in 1667. It was there that 

 the first Cassini made many of his discoveries; 

 three of his descendants have since laboured in the 

 same place, and two others of his family, the Mar- 

 aldis 7 ; besides many other eminent astronomers, as 

 Picard, La Hire, Lefevre, Pouchy, Legentil, Chappc. 

 7 Mont. iv. 346. 



