Nice Observatory

{{Infobox Observatory

| name = Nice Observatory

| caption = The Nice Observatory

| namedafter = City of Nice

| organization = Observatory of the Côte d'Azur

| location = Mont Gros, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France

| coordinates = {{coord|43|43|33|N|07|18|03|E}}

| altitude = 372 m (1,220 ft)

| weather = Mediterranean climate

| coords = {{coord|43.72744|7.29907 |format=dms |region:FR_type:landmark |display=inline,title|name=Nice Observatory main dome}}

| established = 1878

| website = www.oca.eu

| architect = Charles Garnier

| telescope1_name = Grande Lunette

| telescope1_type = 77-cm refractor

}}

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

In 1886 the largest refracting (i.e., with an objective lens rather than a mirror) telescope in the World made its debut at Nice Observatory, the Grand Lunette.{{Cite web|url=http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/gif/1914Obs....37..245H/0000248.000.html|title=1914Obs....37..245H Page 248|website=articles.adsabs.harvard.edu|access-date=2019-10-05}}

Description

The {{convert|77|cm|in|abbr=on}} refractor telescope made by Henry and Gautier became operational around 1886–1887,British university observatories, 1772–1939 By Roger Hutchins;page 252

was the largest in a privately funded observatory, and the first at such high altitude ({{convert|325|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}} above sea level). It was slightly bigger in aperture, several metres longer, and located at a higher altitude than the new (1895) {{convert|30|in|cm|abbr=on|disp=flip}} at Pulkovo observatory in the Russian Empire, and the {{convert|68|cm|in|abbr=on}} at Vienna Observatory (completed early 1880s).[http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/gif/1914Obs....37..245H/0000248.000.html The Observatory, "Large Telescopes", Page 248]

In the records for the largest refracting telescopes, all three were outperformed by the {{convert|36|in|cm|abbr=on|disp=flip}} refractor installed at the Lick Observatory at 1,283 m altitude in 1889.

History

The first studies for the construction of the observatory began in 1878. Raphaël Bischoffsheim, a banker passionate about science and astronomy, purchased the summit of Mont-Gros to establish an observatory. He enlisted his friend Charles Garnier to lead the architectural project. Garnier, drawing on his background in botany, designed a beautiful landscaped environment. The site consists of 18 pavilions, 13 of which were designed by Charles Garnier. Among the buildings are the large equatorial, the small equatorial housing a 50 cm diameter equatorial instrument that enabled astronomer Auguste Charlois to discover 140 minor planets, the bent equatorial, the large meridian with its two sloped, zenith-opening roofs, and the central pavilion housing a library and researchers' offices. All of these buildings are nestled among the botanical paths of the garden and an olive grove with 250 trees purchased by Garnier.

In 1986, the Nice Observatory merged with the Center for Research in Geodynamics and Astrometry (CERGA) to form the Observatory of the Alpes-Maritimes, which became the Observatory of the Côte d'Azur in 1988.{{Cite web |title=Histoire |url=https://www.oca.eu/fr/hist-histpat |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=www.oca.eu}}

Since 1988, the observatory site has been listed in the ZNIEFF (Natural Zone of Ecological, Faunistic, and Floristic Interest) inventory of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The entire site is part of the ZNIEFF titled "Mont-Gros - Eze - Tête de Chien," which spans ten municipalities and covers an area of 2,907 hectares. On July 6, 1992, the site was partially classified as a historic monument, and on October 24, 1994, the buildings were fully classified, including the various telescopes. On March 1, 2001, the observatory received the "20th Century Heritage" label.{{Cite web |title=Observatoire d'astronomie du Montgros (également sur commune de La Trinité) |url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://www.pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00080970#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=archive.wikiwix.com}}

Directors and Associated Personalities

The observatory has had the following directors:

Henri Perrotin (1880–1904){{cite book|title=The Observatory|volume=25|date=1904|publisher=Editors of the Observatory|pages=171, 176|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aZcOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA176}}
General J. A. L. Bassot (1904–1917){{cite book|title=Popular astronomy|volume=25|date=1917|publisher=Goodsell Observatory of Carleton College|pages=411, 480|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FAJLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA480}}
Gaston Fayet (1917–1962){{cite web|title=Case Newsletter|number=6|date=April 2001|url=http://www.bath.ac.uk/ncuacs/casenl6.htm|work=Cooperation on Archives of Science in Europe|publisher=University of Bath|access-date=23 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207101132/http://www.bath.ac.uk/ncuacs/casenl6.htm|archive-date=7 February 2007}}
Jean-Claude Pecker (1962–1969){{cite book|title=Current issues in cosmology|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-85898-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VXTLsPS3q_0C|editor=Jean-Claude Pecker|editor2=Jayant Vishnu Narlikar|access-date=23 July 2010|page=i|date=2006}}
Philippe Delache (1969–1972){{cite journal|last=Bonnet|first=R. M.|title=The scientific achievements of Ph. Delache|journal=Sounding solar and stellar interiors|date=1996|pages=222|editor1-last=Janine Provost, Francois-Xavier Schmider|publisher=Dordrecht Kluwer Academic Publishers|bibcode=1997IAUS..181..221B|isbn=0792348389}}
Jean-Paul Zahn (1972–1975)
Philippe Delache (1975)
Jean-Paul Zahn (1975–1981)
Raymond Michard (1981-1989)
Philippe Delache (1989–1994)
José Pacheco (1994–1999)
Jacques Colin (1999–2009)
Farrokh Vakili (2009–2015)
Thierry Lanz (2015-2021)
Stéphane Mazevet (since 2021)

The following notable figures are also associated with its history:

The Great Refracting Telescope called ''the Grande Lunette''

The main instrument of the Nice Observatory is the refracting telescope housed in the Grand Equatorial. It is 18 meters long, with a 76 cm diameter lens. It became operational for the first time in 1888 and was, at the time, the largest refracting telescope in the world. It was later surpassed by the telescope at the Lick Observatory, which has a 91 cm diameter lens.

In popular culture

The Nice Observatory was featured in the 1999 film Simon Sez. It was also the setting for the title scene in the 2014 Woody Allen flick Magic in the Moonlight.

On May 7, 2021, French artist French79 recorded a concert there, which was broadcast on Arte Concert.{{Cite web |title=- YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_Mw9dEHW3w |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=www.youtube.com}}

In 2018, the exteriors in front of the Great Dome and the Grand Meridian served as the backdrop for Angèle's music video "La Thune".{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3YX8zlR4BU |title=Angèle - La Thune [CLIP OFFICIEL] |date=2018-06-19 |last=Angèle |access-date=2024-10-17 |via=YouTube}}

In 2022, the band Hyphen Hyphen, originally from Nice, filmed the music video for "Too Young" at the observatory.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmONnHeoCro |title=HYPHEN HYPHEN - Too Young (Official Video) |date=2022-07-06 |last=Hyphen Hyphen |access-date=2024-10-17 |via=YouTube}}

Gallery

File:Grande Lunette Nice.jpg|The {{convert|77|cm|in|abbr=out|adj=on}} refractor at Nice Observatory, when built the world's largest, longest, and highest refracting telescope

File:Coupole Bischoffsheim.jpg|The Bischoffsheim cupola