Manila Observatory
The Manila Observatory is a private non-stock and non-profit scientific research institution established in 1865 by the Jesuit mission in the Philippines. With research work in the fields of atmospheric and earth science in the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region, it advocates a science-based approach to sustainable development and poverty reduction. The Manila Observatory can be found in the Ateneo de Manila University in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
Being inspired by Ignatian spirituality, the Manila Observatory is also committed to a scientific culture in its regional and global context through research excellence in environmental and pre-disaster science. Its studies span the areas of atmospheric studies, solid earth dynamics, instrumentation, and applied geomatics to name a few.
Fr. Victor Badillo, SJ, former Director of Manila Observatory (in the photo with the solar radio telescope) is featured in Google.
In November 2010, in spirit of the Christmas season, old MO Christmas cards and postcards are now on exhibit at the MO Lobby.
Located on the third floor, the Manila Observatory Library and Archives is one of the ways in which the Observatory offers its resources to all. Open to the public free of charge, researchers from different sectors such as the academe, private, and public agencies can avail of its collection and services. These open resources also extend to the online sphere: on its official website observatory.ph, there is a page which compiles and offers access to its publications beginning from 1999 to more recent studies.
Apart from making its resources accessible to all as much as possible, the Manila Observatory also collaborates with other organizations and entities in research-based environmental programs. Taking part in global efforts to utilize climate projections for developing countries which are most vulnerable to climate change, the Observatory and the Ateneo de Manila University participated in the creation of the Climate e-Learning Hub which provides comprehensive and localized climate information for the Philippines.
Working alongside the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA) with support from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST - PCIEERD), the Climate e-Learning Hub is part of the three-year program “Analyzing CORDEX-SEA Regional Climate Simulations for Improved Climate Information over the Philippines: SST Influence, Variability and Extremes, Tropical Cyclone Activity." Now in its final year, this program examines climate extreme events in Southeast Asia through active engagement and collaboration with stakeholders and end-user groups.
To know more about the Climate e-Learning hub, visit their page at https://climate21.wixsite.com/climateelearning