Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory (MAO) is one of the oldest observatories in Eastern Europe. MAO was founded in 1821 as a Naval Observatory.

In 1912, MAO became the department of the Main Astronomical Observatory in Pulkovo.

In 1935, MAO was included in the network of scientific institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR as the department of the Main Astronomical Observatory in Pulkovo.

In 1992, MAO became an independent research institution in Ukraine.

In 2002, MAO became the Research Institute "Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory" (RI "MAO") subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
 

In 2025, MAO became the department of the Main Astronomical Observatory subordinated to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The observatory is located in the central part of Mykolaiv at an altitude of 52m above sea level.

The geographic coordinates are longitude 31^o58' E and latitude 46^o58' N.

MAO was included in the Tentative list of UNESCO of  the World Heritage Sites from Ukraine (Tentative list № 5116, Tentative list № 5267).

Mykolaiv Observatory carries out research in the following fields: 

• dynamics of the solar system bodies
• research of the Near-Earth objects
• creation of stellar astrometric catalogues
• informational support of astronomical research
  
• history of astronomy.

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