Category of Astronomical Heritage: tangible immovable
Cape Observatory, SAAO, South Africa

Description

Geographical position

The Royal Observatory, Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, Western Cape, Republic of South Africa (cf. ICOMOS/IAU Case Study as a World Heritage Site)
The Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, is the original name for the headquarters of the present-day "South African Astronomical Observatory" (SAAO), Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. See also other observatories in South Africa:

Boyden Observatory, Bloemfontein (IAU code 074)
Radcliffe Observatory, Pretoria (moved from Oxford to South Africa in 1939) (IAU code 079)
Union Observatory (Republic Observatory, Transvaal Observatory), Johannesburg (IAU code 078)
Union Observatory Annex, Johannesburg-Hartbeespoort (IAU code 076)
Yale-Columbia Southern Station (1925-1951), Johannesburg-Hartbeespoort (IAU code 077)
Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), Sutherland (IAU code B31)
MeerLICHT-1 at South African Astronomical Observatory (IAU code L66)

Location

Latitude 33°56’04’’ S, Longitude 18°28’39’’ E. Elevation 15 m above mean sea level.

IAU observatory code

051

Description of (scientific/cultural/natural) heritage

no information available

History

no information available

State of preservation

The Royal Observatory was declared a National Heritage Site in December 2018 (National Gazette, No 42127, 2018, S.A. Government).

Comparison with related/similar sites

no information available

Threats or potential threats

no threats

Present use

The present SAAO was formed in 1972 by combining the Royal Observatory at the Cape with the Transvaal / Union / Republic Observatory in Johannesburg. Headquarters are in the old Royal Observatory buildings in Cape Town.
The historical telescopes of the South African Astronomical Observatory" (SAAO) in Cape Town are still regularly used for outreach and public events.

Astronomical relevance today

The SAAO is a facility of the National Research Foundation, which operates under the South African Department of Science and Innovation. The SAAO is comprised of headquarters in the suburb of "Observatory" in Cape Town, and a dedicated research and observation station with several working telescopes (including SALT) outside the Karoo town of Sutherland in the Northern Cape.