🇫🇷 Paris | Observatoire de Paris: Where Time Begins ⏳✨

Why It’s Cosmic 🌌 World’s Oldest Active Observatory (1667!) – where Cassini mapped Saturn’s rings 🪐 and Foucault proved Earth’s rotation 🌍. France’s Hidden Meridian: Before Greenwich stole the spotlight, Paris’ longitude line ruled clocks nationwide—even today, every French train station syncs to its gate clock’s atomic time. ⚛️ Architectural Marvel: The Cassini Hall’s frescoed ceiling charts 17th-century constellations under a golden sunburst. Fun Fact: The "Paris Meridian" (2°20’E) still marks the Arago Medallions embedded in sidewalks across the city—hunt them like a treasure trail! 🧭 Visitor Intel 🔭 ✔ Guided Tours Only (€12, book via www.observatoiredeparis.psl.eu) – includes the Great Refractor Telescope from 1857. ✔ Hidden Gem: The underground meridian chamber where scientists measured Earth’s curvature. ✔ Nearby: Sip espresso at Café de la Mairie while pondering celestial mechanics. ☕ #ParisMeridian #TimeTravelers #AstronomyNerds