High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Paris Observatory (in French, Observatoire de Paris or Observatoire de Paris-Meudon) is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centers in the world.Administratively, it is a grand établissement of the French Ministry of National Education, with a status close to that of a public university. Its missions include:Its foundation lies in the ambitions of Jean-Baptiste Colbert to extend France's maritime power and international trade in the 17th century. Louis XIV promoted its construction starting in 1667,