Observatories in the Empire and Astronomy Practices of Military School Students

Abstract

Abstract. Determining the positions of a point on the Earth's surface involves the use of spherical astronomy methods in conjunction with observations of specific astronomical phenomena. These determinations are vital for Cartography and Nautical. Students at the Escola Militar had to learn both the elements of theory and the practice of observation. It is intended to show the conditions under which this apprenticeship took place during the Empire. Over the 78 years since its creation in 1810, the Escola Militar underwent 11 statute reforms that changed the curriculum, its structure and duration of its courses. After each reform, the existence of an astronomy chair and an observatory to support classes was sought, with special attention to the foundation conditions of the Imperial Observatory of Rio de Janeiro. The results showed that, until about the middle of the century, students at the Escola Militar did not have practical classes. The foundation of the “Observatório da Escola Politécnica” in 1881 open a new era, bringing together students from the three schools so that everyone could have observation practices.