Category of Astronomical Heritage: tangible immovable
Coimbra Observatory, Portugal

Description

Geographical position

Observatório Astronómico da Universidade de Coimbra (OAUC), Coimbra Observatory, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

now in Campus of the University of Coimbra, Alto de Santa Clara - Coimbra 3040-004, Portugal (40┬║11’57’’ N, 8┬║26’41’’ W)

Location

Latitude 40.207050° N, Longitude 8.425891° W, Elevation ...m above mean sea level.

IAU observatory code

Description of (scientific/cultural/natural) heritage

Fig. 1a. Coimbra Castle Observatory (1790), tower to the right (António Antunes)

Fig. 1b. Coimbra Castle, where the observatory was erected in 1790 (Wikipedia, CC2, Leandro Neumann Ciuffo)

First Observatory in Coimbra

The University of Coimbra, the oldest Portuguese-speaking university and one of the oldest in the world, was founded in 1290 by King D. Dinis (1261--1325), grandson of Alfonso X of Castile, the Wise [el Sabio] (1221--1284). The "University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia" is on the Unesco World Heritage List 2013, modified in 2019, noting its architecture, unique culture and traditions, and historical role (Reference no. 1387, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1387).
It was a Jesuit college from 1652 to 1759.

Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal and 1st Count of Oeiras (1699--1782), known as the Marquis of Pombal, expelled the Jesuits in 1759, created secular school system, and started the Coimbra University reform in 1772. Thus, he created the modern scientific education in Portugal (for the Faculty of Natural Philosophy a Physics Cabinet, Chemistry Laboratory, Natural Histroy Cabinet, and Botanic Garden was planned), in the Faculty of Mathematics an astronomical observatory was planned for the site of the Castle - with the following construction guidelines:

the Observatory must be free of sighting impediments all around, enable the free observation of the sky in any angle along across the perimeter of the building.
the Observatory must be spacious, and comfortable.
enable concurrent use by various astronomers in the observation of the same phenomenon, and a special care in the placement of the window for night observations without interference of the night dew.
there should be accomodation personal resting during long or overnight observations.

Instrumentation: the observatory should be immediatedly supplied with a collection of qualitiy instruments.

Mural Quadrant - made by the best European makers, Quadrants, Sextants
Telescopes (refractors and reflectors), mirrors and lenses, micrometer
Equatorial Instrument, Transit Instrument, Zenith Sector, Levels, Clocks
and all the remaining material requirements for an efficient and continous practice of quality observations leading to the progress of astronomy.

The instruments were acquired in 1785 by Jose Monteiro da Rocha (1734--1819),
who also organized the planning and construction of the observatory.

Fig. 2a. William Elsden’s unfulfilled proposal for Coimbra Castle Observatory (1773), Neo-Classical style

Fig. 2b. Coimbra Castle Observatory, plan by Manuel Alves Macomboa (1791), (UCBG Ms. 3377-4)
Fig. 2c. Coimbra Castle Observatory (1882) and Biblioteca Joanina
Fig. 2d. Coimbra Castle Observatory, plan by Manuel Alves Macomboa (1791), in the court of the university
Fig. 2e. "Taboas Astronomicas" of Coimbra University Observatory, edited by José Monteiro da Rocha (1734--1819)

Due to lack of money, this project was stopped after three years. In 1775--1777, a provisional building was erected (in use for 15 years), then in 1790, the Royal Observatory of the University of Coimbra was constructed in the Patio of the University (Paço das Escolas) as the first observatory in Portugal, designed by Manuel Alves Macomboa (ÔÇá1815), inaugurated in 1799 - next to Biblioteca Joanina, the Baroque University Library.

A first astronomy course "Practical Astronomy" started in 1801. The first volume of the "Astronomical Ephemeris do Real Observatório da, Universidade de Coimbra" (Royal Observatory of the University of Coimbra) was edited in 1803; these Ephemeris were not only important for astronomical research, but also for the use of Portuguese navigation. The "Taboas Astronomicas" (Astronomical Tables) were edited by José Monteiro da Rocha. He was also responsible for the surveying of Portugal, 1790-1794 and again in 1835). The Coimbra Observatory was in use for about 150 years.

Fig. 3a. Coimbra University Observatory in the Patio of the University, left of the observatory is the Biblioteca Joanina (acercadecoimbra)

Fig. 3b. Coimbra University Observatory with additional domes with conical roofs, demolished in the 1950’s
The lunar eclipse of 1755 was observed by Bernardo de Oliveira (1711--1796) and Jose Texeira (1729--1799) in Coimbra and by Dionísio Franco, professor de Matemáticas do Colégio de Évora. Eusébio da Veiga (1718--1798) published his observations "Observatio Eclipsis Solaris" (1753), "Eclipsis Partialis Lunae" (1755), and "Planetario Lusitano" (1758).
After the Jesuits’ expulsion from Portugal in 1758, da Veiga went to Rome (Udías 2013).

New Observatory in Coimbra

Fig. 4a. Room for the Spectroheliograph in Coimbra University Observatory (1925), (est-east.eu, Ricardo Gafeira)

Rodrigo Ribeiro de Sousa Pinto (1811--1893), PhD in 1836, observed the solar eclipse in Spain in July 18, 1860, at Cape Oropesa. He introduced important improvements to the Astronomical Observatory and became director from 1858 to 1866. He published e.g. Apontamentos de Trigonometria esférica (Coimbra, 1854); Elementos de Astronomia (2 vols.; Coimbra, 1858-1860); Aditamento ao cálculo dos eclipses (Coimbra, 1868).

Francisco Miranda da Costa Lobo (1865--1945), got his PhD in 1884 in Coimbra University after studying mathematics and philosophy. In 1893, he was appointed as full Professor of Astronomy. In his research, Costa Lobo started astrophysics, and especially solar physics, in Coimbra (1907); during an excursion to Paris, he met Henri Deslandres (1853--1948), Director of the Meudon Observatory, who proposed to use a spectroheliograph to study the solar chromosphere. Costa Lobo observed the solar eclipse of 17 April 1912, then he missed the eclipse of 1914 due to the political situation. The next possibility was a partial solar eclipse in Coimbra.

Fig. 4b. Arms of the Spectroheliograph of Coimbra University Observatory (1925), (est-east.eu, Ricardo Gafeira)

Since 1925, the Coimbra Observatory is well known of keeping a daily service of solar observations, first with a photoheliograph -- the largest continuous solar data collections in the world. This long-term solar database is essential for studies where solar activity is involved (Lourenço et al., 2019, Carrasco et al., 2018a,b). Coimbra can be mentioned in the context of famous solar observatories in the world, like cf. Paris-Meudon, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, India or Mt Wilson, USA.

Fig. 5. Spectroheliograph of Coimbra University Observatory (est-east.eu, Ricardo Gafeira)

With the spectroheliograph, developed in 1890/94 independently by George Ellery Hale (1868--1938) and Henri Deslandres (1853--1948), monochromatic photographs of the Sun’s chromosphere could be obtained. Since 1927, Coimbra kept daily observations in spectral lines like Ca II K and H-alpha -- very useful for long-term studies of the structures, visible in the solar atmosphere at the mentioned wavelengths. This instrument with the modern improvements can still compete with the other solar synoptic (full-disk) ground-based spectroheliographs of its category in the world.

After da Costa Lobo, Manuel dos Reis (1900--1993) was called as director in 1934. Gumersindo Sarmento da Costa Lobo (1896--1952), the son of Francisco Miranda da Costa Lobo, continued the solar observations; in 1038, he became member of IAU Commission
11 Chromospheric Phenomena and the Solar Corona.

Fig. 5a. Coimbra University Observatory (1951)
Fig. 5b. Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra (OGAUC), Campus of the University of Coimbra, Alto de Santa Clara (1951), (est-east.eu)

In the early 1940s, the new plan of the University City promoted the demolition of the old Terreiro Observatory, in order to get a modern astronomical observatory outside of the city center; it was transferred to Alto de Santa Clara in 1951, the Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra (OGAUC), (https://est-east.eu).

History

Fig. 6a. Photoheliograph of Coimbra University Observatory (1871), (est-east.eu)

Fig. 6a. Sunspot drawing target of Coimbra University Observatory, (est-east.eu)

Instruments of the first Observatory

Mural Quadrant
Portable Quadrant
Transit Instrument
Zenith Sector
Telescopes (refractors and reflectors), mirrors and lenses, micrometer
Equatorial Instrument
Pendulum Clocks.

Fig. 7a. Coelostat of Coimbra University Observatory (1925), (est-east.eu

Fig. 7b. Coelostat of Coimbra University Observatory (1925), (Costa Lobo 1933, p. 453)

Astrophysical Instruments of Coimbra University Geophysical and Astronomic Observatory (OGAUC), 1925

Photoheliograph, made by Repsold & Söhne of Hamburg and
optics by Steinheil of Munich (1871), used for the daily photography of the Sun (Bandeira, 1942, 557)
Coelostat (two flat 40-cm-mirrors), made by Georges Prin of Paris,
the lower mirror facing the Sun with a precise clock-drive,
Spectroheliograph (25-cm aperture objective, 4m focal length),
three flint prisms with an angle of 60┬║ and 15-cm on the edge.
upgraded for new optics and later for digital image recording,
in an external pavilion with a removable ceiling
Astronomical Dome Calouste Gulbenkian

Fig. 8. Entrance Slit of the Spectroheliograph of Coimbra University Observatory (1925), (est-east.eu, Ricardo Gafeira)

In addition to astronomy, in the 1860s, atmospheric and geomagnetic / geophysical phenomena were studied, a meteorological and magnetic observatories were started.

Jacinto António de Sousa (1818--1880) was called as Professor in the Philosophy Faculty at the University of Coimbra; after visiting the observatories of Madrid, Paris, Brussels, London, Greenwich and Kew, a Meteorological Observatory was built in 1864; the model was Kew Observatory.
Also the Magnetic Observatory of Coimbra (COI), founded in 1864, is one of the oldest observatories in operation in the world; the geomagnetic measurements started in 1866 in the earliest observatory located in the "Instituto Geofisico of University of Coimbra" (IGUC). In 1932, the magnetic observatory was transferred to the present site, Alto da Baleia, about 2.5 km from the city centre; observations started in 1951. The classical instruments (photographic recording variometers, Askania declinometer, QHM and BMZ) were replaced in 2007 with the modern ones (FGE variometers, DIM and GSM90F) (Ribeiro 2009).

State of preservation

The original observatory building (1790) is no longer existing; it was demolished in 1951.

Comparison with related/similar sites

The first Coimbra Observatory was built in Neo-classical style, typically at the end of 18th century. But it was still an observatory with a central tower like e.g. in Padua, and not with a dome (like Dublin and Armagh) or with the cross shape layout like e.g. Turku (1819), Berlin (1835), Bonn (1844), Athens (1846), Quito (1873).

Regarding the research topic, Coimbra Observatory is comparable with the famous solar observatories in the world, like cf. Paris-Meudon, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, India or Mt Wilson, USA.

Threats or potential threats

Present use

The old observatory building existed until 1951, then the observatory was moved to Santa Clara.
Some historical scientific instruments are in the Museu da Ci├¬ncia, Universidade de Coimbra.

Fig. 9. Scientific instruments of Coimbra University Observatory (rotadabairrad)

Astronomical relevance today

The Coimbra Astronomical Observatory, now named Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra (OGAUC) was created in 2013 as a result of the merger between the UC Astronomical Observatory (founded in 1772) and the UC Geophysical Institute (founded in 1864). It is currently an interdepartmental service of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra, shared by the Departments of Earth Sciences, Physics and Mathematics (https://est-east.eu).

At the Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra, both the modern scientific research, focused on the study of the solar system, and the promotion of science and the science outreach of the fields of knowledge which are related to it are in the same space.

An important activity is the conservation of glass plates negatives at the Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra, see Mariana Brum (2022):

Fig. 10. Conservation of Glass Plates Negatives in Coimbra (Mariana Brum, Poster in Universeum 2022 in Belgium)

References

Bibliography (books and published articles)

Afonso, Jose: Past Meets Present in Astronomy and Astrophysics: Proceedings of the 15th Portuguese National Meeting, held 28-30 July 2005 in University of Lisbon & Lisbon Astronomical Observatory. Edited by Jose Afonso, Nuno Santos, Andre Moitinho & Rui Agostinho. Singapura: World Scientific Publishing 2006, p. 90.
Amorim, D.P. de: Elogio histórico dos Doutores Francisco de Miranda da Costa Lobo e Gumersindo Sarmento da Costa Lobo. In: O Instituto 117 (1955), p. 1-29.
Bandeira, J.R.: Observatório Astronómico -- Universidade
de Coimbra. In: O Instituto 92 (1942), p. 523-586.
Bonifácio, Vítor Hugo da Rosa: Da astronomia ├á astrofísica: a perspectiva portuguesa (1850--1940). Aveiro: Universidade de Aveiro 2009.
Brum, Mariana: Conservation of Glass Plates Negatives at The Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra. Poster presented at the UNIVERSEUM2022 in Bruxelles, Belgium (July 2022).
Carrasco, Víctor M.S.; Vaquero, José M.; Trigo, R.M. & M.C. Gallego: A Curious History of Sunspot Penumbrae: An Update. In: Solar Physics 293 (2018a), p. 104 (DOI: 10.1007/s11207-018-1328-z).
Carrasco, Víctor M.S.; Vaquero, José M.; Gallego, M.C.; Fernandes, J.; Barata, T. & A. Lourenço: In: Solar Physics 293 (2018b), p. 153.
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Lourenço, Ana; Gafeira, Ricardo; Bonifácio, Vitor; Barata, Teresa; Fernandes, João & Eva Silva: Testing the Accuracy of Coimbra Astronomical Observatory Solar Filament Historical Series (1929--1941). In: Solar Physics (2021).
Lourenço, Ana; Carvalho, Sara; Barata, Teresa; Garcia, Adriana; Carrasco, Víctor & Nuno Peixinho: Solar observations at the Coimbra Astronomical Observatory. In: Open Astronomy 28 (2019), p. 165-179 (https://doi.org/10.1515/astro-2019-0015).
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Ribeiro, Paulo: The magnetic observatory of Coimbra (COI). Instrumentation, observatory practice and data quality evaluation. In: Geodetic and Geophysical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (ed.): International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA 11). Scientific Assembly, Sopron (Hungary), 23-30 Aug 2009, (http://www.iaga2009sopron.hu).
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