observatory
noun
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| \ 蓹b-藞z蓹r-v蓹-藢t券r-膿
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plural observatories
Definition of observatory
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
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Examples of observatory in a Sentence
the observatory is located on a mountaintop
Recent Examples on the Web
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports a federal disaster relief bill signed in June has enabled the observatory to begin exploring new properties. — USA TODAY, "Record grapefruit, light rail win, Snake Road: News from around our 50 states," 29 Aug. 2019 The observatory had detected an outburst of gravitational waves, or ripples in spacetime, and an orbiting gamma-ray telescope had simultaneously seen electromagnetic radiation emanating from the same region of space. — Anil Ananthaswamy, Scientific American, "Faced with a Data Deluge, Astronomers Turn to Automation," 21 Aug. 2019 The observatories negotiated access through law enforcement, Jessica Dempsey, deputy director of the East Asian Observatory, told the Associated Press. — Fox News, "Jason Momoa, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson defend Mauna Kea protesters," 1 Aug. 2019 The observatory will then share that access with social scientists who might have a specific research project but lack the connections or resources to grapple with the immensity of the data involved. — Andy Greenberg, WIRED, "Facebook's Ex-Security Chief Details His 'Observatory' for Internet Abuse," 25 July 2019 Located on the grounds of New Milford High School, the all-volunteer observatory is open to the public and hosts events throughout the year, including on Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. — Kevin Vellturo, courant.com, "Looking to the stars in honor of the moon landing? You鈥檙e not alone. These are 10 of the best stargazing spots in Connecticut," 19 July 2019 For many years, however, a lunar observatory has been a dream deferred. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, "Could humanity鈥檚 return to the moon spark a new age of lunar telescopes?," 18 July 2019 The observatory uses 5,160 sensors strung along 86 cables extending down holes drilled more than a mile deep into the ice. — Mark Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW-Madison scientists expand effort to solve mysteries of universe inside South Pole ice," 16 July 2019 The observatory is open from 9 a.m. to 3: p.m. PT, but specific tours are only available on select days. — Currie Engel, Time, "8 Places You Can Visit to Celebrate Apollo 11's 50th Anniversary This Week," 15 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'observatory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for observatory
observatory
noun
English Language Learners Definition of observatory
: a special building for studying stars, planets, weather, etc. : a building from which scientists study and watch the sky
See the full definition for observatory in the English Language Learners Dictionary
observatory
noun
ob路ser路va路to路ry
| \ 蓹b-藞z蓹r-v蓹-藢t券r-膿
\
\
plural observatories
Kids Definition of observatory
: a place that has instruments for making observations (as of the stars)
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