Tusculanum – Taastrup, Denmark - Atlas Obscura

Tusculanum

Taastrup, Denmark

The remains of the observatory of the Danish astronomer who first measured the speed of light. 

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Not far from the Kroppedal Museum of astronomy history in Denmark, you’ll find the remains of the observatory of Danish astronomer Ole Rømer, famous for discovering that light has a speed less then infinite.

This observatory was the first outside of Copenhagen, and the first in the world to be equipped with a Meridian Circle. The instrument (mostly famous from Greenwich Observatory’s timeline) was invented by Ole Rømer to make accurate measurements of stellar positions. Similar instruments were used up until satellites like Hipparcos and Gaia took over in 2013. The last meridian circle in use was the Automated Carlsberg Meridian Circle, on La Palma.

Know Before You Go

The site is connected to the nearby museum Kroppedal Museum, which is the museum for the history of astronomy in Denmark.
Take S-train or regular train from Copenhagen central to Høje Taastrup. From there, bus 116 travels right to "Kroppedals allé" where the observatory and the museum are within 700-800 meters.

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