Nice Observatory

Nice Observatory

Bischoffsheim cupola
Code 020  
Location Mont Gros, Nice, France
Altitude 372 m
Established 1878
Telescopes

The Observatoire de Nice (Nice Observatory) is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mont Gros. The observatory was initiated in 1879 by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier, and Gustave Eiffel designed the main dome.

The 77-cm (30.3-inch) refractor telescope[1] made by Henry and Gautier that became operational around 1886-1887,[1][2] the largest in a privately funded observatory, and first at such high altitude (325 m). It was slightly bigger in aperture and several meters longer[1] than the new (1895) 30 inch at Pulkovo observatory in the Russian Empire. The French telescope was also at a higher altitude. The two 30 inch had taken the crown from the 69 cm at Vienna Observatory (completed early 1880s). All three were outperformed by the 36-inch (91-cm) refractor at the Lick Observatory in 1889.

As a scientific institution, the Nice Observatory no longer exists. It was merged with CERGA in 1988 to form the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur.

The Nice Observatory was featured in the 1999 film Simon Sez.

Contents

Directors

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d The Observatory, "Large Telescopes", Page 248
  2. ^ British university observatories, 1772-1939 By Roger Hutchins;page 252
  3. ^ The Observatory, Volume 25. Editors of the Observatory. 1904. pp. 171, 176. http://books.google.com/?id=aZcOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA176&dq=nice+observatory+director#v=onepage&q=nice%20observatory%20director&f=false. 
  4. ^ a b Popular astronomy, Volume 25. Goodsell Observatory of Carleton College. 1917. pp. 411, 480. http://books.google.com/?id=FAJLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA480&dq=nice+observatory+director#v=onepage&q=nice%20observatory%20director&f=false. 
  5. ^ "Case Newsletter No. 6, April 2001". Cooperation on Archives of Science in Europe. University of Bath. http://www.bath.ac.uk/ncuacs/casenl6.htm. Retrieved 23 July 2010. 
  6. ^ Jean-Claude Pecker, Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, ed (2006). Current issues in cosmology. Cambridge University Press. p. i. ISBN 9780521858984. http://books.google.com/?id=VXTLsPS3q_0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=current+issues+in+cosmology#v=onepage&q=pecker&f=false. Retrieved 23 July 2010. 
  7. ^ a b c Bonnet, R. M. (1996). Janine Provost, Francois-Xavier Schmider. ed. "The scientific achievements of Ph. Delache". Sounding solar and stellar interiors (Dordrecht Kluwer Academic Publishers): 222. Bibcode 1997IAUS..181..221B. ISBN 0792348389. 

External links