Founded by Emperor D. Pedro I in Rio de Janeiro on October 15, 1827 (just five years after the Brazilian Independence), the National Observatory (Observatório Nacional – ON) is the second oldest federal research institution in Brazil. ON was born with the aim to conduct geographic studies and teaching navigations. Currently linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (MCTI), it operates in three major areas of knowledge: Astronomy, Geophysics and Metrology in Time and Frequency, in which it conducts research, technological development and innovation, with national recognition and international projection. 

The institution’s activities include the training of researchers in its graduate courses, the training of professionals, the coordination of projects and national activities in its areas of expertise and the generation, maintenance, and dissemination of the Brazilian Legal Time. The ON also maintains the Brazilian Geomagnetic Network, which continuously monitors the variations of the Earth’s magnetic field at the Magnetic Observatories of Vassouras (State of Rio de Janeiro), of Tatuoca (State of Pará) and at the stations. The physical infrastructure of the main campus – where LATINMAG 2023 will be held – includes rooms for research and teaching, auditoriums, and laboratories, including the laboratories for Development of Magnetic Sensors and of Geomagnetism, and the brand-new Laboratory of Paleomagnetism, Cyclostratigraphy, and Magnetic Mineralogy (LPC2M-ON). The last facility, which is in the final stage of installation, corresponds to a historical demand from Brazilian Earth Sciences researchers. It will promote the feasibility of studies linked to the magnetism of geomaterials and its diverse applications related to geological and environmental processes, and investigations concerning the geomagnetic field behavior.