The Old Naval Observatory is a historic site at 23rd and E Street in Northwest, Washington, D.C. It is where the United States Naval Observatory was located from 1844 to 1893, when it moved to its present grounds. The original observatory building, built 1839-40, still stands, and is a designated National Historic Landmark. The Washington meridian of 1850 passes through the Observatory. The property for many years housed the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, which moved out in 2012. The property has been taken over by the State Department.
Old Naval Observatory
The campus in 1936, looking east. The NIH buildings are along the bottom, the Naval Hospital is at center, and the old observatory is at top left.
United States Naval Observatory
The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is a scientific and military facility that produces geopositioning, navigation and timekeeping data for the United States Navy and the United States Department of Defense. Established in 1830 as the Depot of Charts and Instruments, it is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States, and remains the country's leading authority for astronomical and timing data for all purposes.
An aerial view of Naval Support Facility US Naval Observatory during 2004
Image: United states navy observatory seal
Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station
Number One Observatory Circle, official home of the U.S. vice president.
