Structures known as Observatories were erected throughout the galaxy by Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, before or during 20 BBY, during his tenure as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. Although these constructions all functioned as laboratories of a kind, each one gazed past the galactic rim toward a unique point and was imbued with a distinct objective. Certain observatories contained weapon schematics or the weapons themselves, while others sheltered ancient Sith artifacts, and yet others served as prisons where the life energies of captives were exploited. The Jakku Observatory, situated close to the Plaintive Hand plateau, was intended to participate in the Contingency. An additional Observatory could be found on the world of Pillio.