observatory
noun
ob·ser·va·to·ry
əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtȯr-ē 
plural observatories
1
: a building or place given over to or equipped for observation of natural phenomena (as in astronomy)
also
: an institution whose primary purpose is making such observations
2
: a situation or structure commanding a wide view
Examples of observatory in a Sentence
the observatory is located on a mountaintop
Recent Examples on the Web
Other astronomers followed up by looking through Rubin’s initial data and discovered that the observatory had also detected 3I/ATLAS, 10 days earlier.
—
Quanta Magazine, 15 May 2026
Several other similar observatories have come online since then to glimpse hundreds of additional events, but all this activity represents a narrow range of gravitational waves—those created when neutron stars or relatively small black holes collide.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
The asteroid was identified several days ago by astronomers at five observatories, including Farpoint Observatory in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, and Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 13 May 2026
One World Trade Center’s observatory opened to the public, its three-story vantage offering views of the Statue of Liberty, the New York skyline and beyond from high in the 1,776-foot building.
—USA Today, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for observatory
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Quanta Magazine, 15 May 2026
Several other similar observatories have come online since then to glimpse hundreds of additional events, but all this activity represents a narrow range of gravitational waves—those created when neutron stars or relatively small black holes collide.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
The asteroid was identified several days ago by astronomers at five observatories, including Farpoint Observatory in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, and Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 13 May 2026
One World Trade Center’s observatory opened to the public, its three-story vantage offering views of the Statue of Liberty, the New York skyline and beyond from high in the 1,776-foot building.
—USA Today, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for observatory
Cite this Entry
“Observatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/observatory. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
observatory
noun
ob·ser·va·to·ry
əb-ˈzər-və-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
plural observatories
1
: a place or institution equipped with instruments for observation of natural objects and events (as in astronomy)
2
: a place providing a wide view
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