Royal Observatory of Navy in San Fernando, Spain

Abstract

The Royal Observatory of Navy in San Fernando (ROA),1 in its more than 250 years of uninterrupted scientific activity, was the first Astronomical Observatory in Spain and has been and remains one of the most important scientific institutions in the country.2 Integrated into the structure of the Spanish Navy within the Science/Culture Section, it is an institution with a rich history and significant historical astronomical value. Its main activities include Astronomy, Geophysics, and the Time Section. Overall, the combination of its astronomical services, its valuable historical collections of books, documents, and instruments, and its historic role in determining time position the ROA, as a key institution for research and the enhancement of historical astronomical heritage, which, in this case, is fully preserved in situ and contextualized. Today, the ROA is opening to new forms of scientific and cultural dissemination to the public and historical research to highlight its values.