Anders Celsius Established Uppsala Astronomical Observatory in 1741

Summary: Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius established Uppsala Astronomical Observatory in 1741 as Uppsala University's first "real" astronomical observatory.

Uppsala Astronomical Observatory, known as Celsius Observatory, established by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in 1741; "Astronomiska observatoriet, Uppsala," illustration by Swedish engraver Fredrik Akrel (May 27, 1748-Nov. 6, 1804). In: J.B. Busser, Utkast till beskrifning om Upsala (1769): Public Domain Mark, via Alvin Consortium (University of Gothenburg, Lunds Universitet, Uppsala Universitet)

Eighteenth-century Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius established Uppsala Astronomical Observatory in 1741 as the first "real" astronomical observatory at Uppsala University (Uppsala universitet), according to Uppsala University's Department of Physics and Astronomy webpage, "History of Astronomy in Uppsala."

Anders Celsius (Nov. 27, 1701-April 25, 1744) was born into the astronomical family of Nils Celsius (April 15, 1658-March 21, 1724) and Gunilla Maria Spole (Nov. 3, 1672-1756). His father was an astronomy professor at Uppsala University. Anders' paternal grandfather, Magnus Celsius (Jan. 16, 162-May 5, 1679), was a professor of astronomy and mathematics at the university. Anders' maternal grandfather, Anders Spole (June 13, 1630-Aug. 1, 1699), also had been an astronomy professor at Uppsala University.

Home rooftop observatories characterized the homes of the Celsius and Spole families. The home rooftop observatory of Uppsala University astronomer and mathematician Bengt Hedraeus (1608-Jan. 4, 1659) inspired Magnus Celsius to create a home rooftop observatory, according to historical geophysics author Martin Ekman in his 2016 publication, The Man Behind "Degrees Celsius": A Pioneer in Investigating the Earth and Its Changes (2016; page 18). The rooftop observatory tower installed in 1680 by Anders Spole was destroyed by the great fire that raged through Uppsala on May 16, 1702.

Anders Celsius observed the family interest in astronomy and mathematics as well as his family's association with Uppsala University. In 1722 he began an assistantship with astronomy professor Eric Burman (Sept. 23, 1692-Nov. 3, 1729). In 1728 he was appointed deputy professor of mathematics as a temporary replacement for Swedish mathematician Samuel Klingenstierna (Aug. 18, 1698-Oct. 26, 1765), who had embarked on an international study tour of advanced mathematics in England, France and Germany. Professor Burman's premature death at age 37 occasioned Celsius's appointment as deputy professor of astronomy in autumn 1729. Half a year later, he edged out four other candidates to become Eric Burman's successor as professor of astronomy. He gave his first lecture as an astronomy professor at Uppsala University on June 2, 1730. His lecture was titled "Astronomiae usus in vita civili" (The Use of Astronomy in Civil Life) (Ekman, pages 34-36, 39, 41).

From summer 1732 to summer 1737, Celsius was occupied with an international study tour. Visiting major observatories, including Germany's Berlin Observatory, France's Paris Observatory and England's Greenwich Observatory, and purchasing high-quality astronomical equipment numbered among his activities.

In summer 1737, he returned to Uppsala. In autumn 1737, he sited a small astronomical observatory in his mother's garden. In a letter to a former university librarian, he described his observatory as including a London-bought tube with a micrometer constructed by English clockmaker and astronomical instrument maker George Graham (July 7, 1673-Nov. 16, 1751) and a Paris-bought 3-foot quadrant. He noted that his sophisticated equipment and instruments allowed him to equal Paris in the quality of his observations, even though his garden observatory was "a small wooden hut" and the Paris Observatory rated as one of Europe's splendidest palaces (Ekman, page 71).

In 1738 Celsius convinced the university to purchase a stone building at Svartbäcksgatan 7, in Uppsala's northern center, for remodeling as an observatory with living quarters. The building comprised three floors: a ground floor and two upper floors.

Baron Carl Hårleman (Aug. 27, 1700-Feb. 9, 1753) drew the plans for the university's first official observatory. (Seven years later, in 1748, construction began on the Hårleman-designed Stockholm Observatory, which was completed in 1753.) Construction on the Uppsala Astronomical Observatory (Astronomiska observatoriet, Uppsala) began in summer 1739. Two years later, in summer 1741, the yellow-colored building was completed. A celestial globe ornamented the top of the rooftop observatory's tower.

The Swedish architect's original drawings show Celsius's living quarters on the uppermost floor, beneath the rooftop observatory. This uppermost floor included a central lecture hall, bounded by a library on one side and by Celsius's bedroom and storage rooms on the other side (Ekman, pages 73-75).

Use of the Uppsala Astronomical Observatory, also known as the Celsius Observatory (Celsiusobservatoriet), continued until Uppsala University opened a new observatory in 1853. In 1857, Celsius Observatory's tower was dismantled. The yellow, observatory-less building, known as Celsiushuset ("Celsius's house"), still stands and angles medievally, amidst Sankt Per Gallerian (St. Peter Shopping Center), on Celsiustorget ("Celsius Square").

The takeaways for Anders Celsius's establishing Uppsala Astronomical Observatory in 1741 are that the Swedish astronomer convinced Uppsala University to purchase a stone building for remodeling into an official observatory and residence; that the observatory-residence was designed by Baron Carl Hårleman, who subsequently designed the Stockholm Observatory, built between 1748 and 1753; that Uppsala Astronomical Observatory was Uppsala University's first official observatory, also known as Celsius Observatory; and that the building, which lost its rooftop observatory in 1857, is known as Celsiushuset ("Celsius's House") and still stands in north central Uppsala.

Rolf Guldsmed ("Goldsmith") has occupied the ground floor of historic Celsiushuset since 1991; Celsiushuset (Celsius's house), Svartbäcksgatan 7, Celsiustorget (Celsius Square), north central Uppsala, Sweden; Saturday, March 17, 2007, 15:01: Goombah, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Uppsala Astronomical Observatory, known as Celsius Observatory, established by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in 1741; "Astronomiska observatoriet, Uppsala," illustration by Swedish engraver Fredrik Akrel (May 27, 1748-Nov. 6, 1804). In: J.B. Busser, Utkast till beskrifning om Upsala (1769): Public Domain Mark, via Alvin Consortium (University of Gothenburg, Lunds Universitet, Uppsala Universitet) @ http://www.alvin-portal.org/alvin/imageViewer.jsf?dsId=ATTACHMENT-0001&pid=alvin-record%3A86268&dswid=8512

Rolf Guldsmed ("Goldsmith") has occupied the ground floor of historic Celsiushuset since 1991; Celsiushuset (Celsius's house), Svartbäcksgatan 7, Celsiustorget (Celsius Square), north central Uppsala, Sweden; Saturday, March 17, 2007, 15:01: Goombah, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Celsiushuset.jpg

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