Nice Observatory

Nice Observatory

Bischoffsheim cupola
Code 020  
Location Mont Gros, Nice, France
Coordinates 43°43′39″N 7°17′57″E / 43.72744°N 7.29907°ECoordinates: 43°43′39″N 7°17′57″E / 43.72744°N 7.29907°E
Altitude 372 m
Established 1878
The 77-centimetre (30 in) refractor at Nice Observatory, when built the world's largest, longest, and highest refracting telescope [1]

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

The 77 cm (30 in) refractor telescope[1] made by Henry and Gautier became operational around 1886–1887,[1][2] was the largest in a privately funded observatory, and the first at such high altitude (325 m or 1,066 ft above sea level). It was slightly bigger in aperture and several metres longer[1] than the new (1895) 76 cm (30 in) at Pulkovo observatory in the Russian Empire. The French telescope was also at a higher altitude. The two 76 cm (30 in) telescopes had taken the crown from the 69 cm (27 in) at Vienna Observatory (completed early 1880s). All three were outperformed by the 91 cm (36 in) refractor installed 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, which often is still referred to as Nice Observatory.

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

Directors

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Popular astronomy, Volume 25. Goodsell Observatory of Carleton College. 1917. pp. 411, 480.
  5. ↑ "Case Newsletter No. 6, April 2001". Cooperation on Archives of Science in Europe. University of Bath. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  6. ↑ Jean-Claude Pecker; Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, eds. (2006). Current issues in cosmology. Cambridge University Press. p. i. ISBN 978-0-521-85898-4. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 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