Observatoire de Nice
The Observatoire de Nice is an astronomical observatory in Nice , France , on the 372 m high summit of Mont Gros .
The observatory was initiated in 1879 by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. It is Europe's oldest mountain observatory and in 1879 it was the first to be operated permanently. The architect was Charles Garnier , and Gustave Eiffel designed the main dome , which was to accommodate a huge telescope nearly 20 meters long. The heavy metal dome was the largest in Europe with a diameter of 26 meters. A Parisian banker covered the construction costs with a generous donation.
The telescope called Grande Lunette with an opening width of 76 cm went into operation in 1888. At the time, it was the largest lens telescope in the world. However, it was surpassed the following year by the telescope with 91 cm aperture at the Lick Observatory .
As a scientific institution, the Observatoire de Nice no longer exists in this form. In 1988 it was merged with the Observatoire du CERGA to form the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur .
The Observatoire de Nice has the IAU code 020 .
See also
Web links
- Official website (English)
Coordinates: 43 ° 43 ′ 38.8 " N , 7 ° 17 ′ 56.7" E