The
Observatoire de Nice (
Nice Observatory) is an astronomical observatory located in
NiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
,
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on the summit of Mont Gros. The
observatoryAn observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
was initiated in 1879 by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was
Charles GarnierCharles Garnier was a French architect, perhaps best known as the architect of the Palais Garnier and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.-Early life:...
, and
Gustave EiffelAlexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French structural engineer from the École Centrale Paris, an architect, an entrepreneur and a specialist of metallic structures...
designed the main
domeA dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
.
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The
Observatoire de Nice (
Nice Observatory) is an astronomical observatory located in
NiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
,
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on the summit of Mont Gros. The
observatoryAn observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
was initiated in 1879 by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was
Charles GarnierCharles Garnier was a French architect, perhaps best known as the architect of the Palais Garnier and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.-Early life:...
, and
Gustave EiffelAlexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French structural engineer from the École Centrale Paris, an architect, an entrepreneur and a specialist of metallic structures...
designed the main
domeA dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
.
The 77-cm (30.3-inch) refractor telescope made by Henry and Gautier that became operational around 1886-1887, 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 than the new (1895) 30 inch at
Pulkovo observatoryThe Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory астрономи́ческая обсервато́рия Росси́йской акаде́мии нау́к), the principal astronomical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located 19 km south of Saint Petersburg on Pulkovo Heights...
in the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. The French telescope was also at a higher altitude. The two 30 inch had taken the crown from the 69 cm at
Vienna ObservatoryUniversitäts-Sternwarte Wien is an astronomical observatory in Vienna, Austria. It is part of the University of Vienna. The first observatory was built in 1753–1754 on the roof of one of the university buildings....
(completed early 1880s). All three were outperformed by the 36-inch (91-cm) refractor at the
Lick ObservatoryThe Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
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 SezSimon Sez is a 1999 action comedy film starring Dennis Rodman, Dane Cook, and John Pinette. The score for this film was composed by Brian Tyler.-Plot:Interpol agent Simon goes on a mission in France to save a kidnapped girl and defeat an arms dealer....
.
Directors
- Henri Joseph Anastase Perrotin
Henri Joseph Anastase Perrotin was a French astronomer. Some sources give his middle name as Athanase....
1880—1904
- General J. A. L. Bassot 1904—1917
- Gaston Fayet 1917—1962
- Jean-Claude Pecker
Jean-Claude Pecker is a French astronomer, member of the Académie des sciences, and former director of the Nice Observatory. He served as the secretary-general of the International Astronomical Union from 1964 to 1967. He was awarded the Prix Jules Janssen of the French Astronomical Society in...
1962—1969
- Philippe Delache 1969—1972
- Philippe Delache 1975
- Philippe Delache 1989—1994
See also