An astronomical observatory atop Mont Gros above Nice, France, financed and founded by the banker Raphael Bischoffsheim and completed in 1879, with a distinctive dome engineered by Gustave Eiffel over a building designed by architect Charles Garnier. In 1886 it unveiled the Grande Lunette, at the time the largest refracting telescope in the world at 77 centimeters in aperture, and since 1986 the site has formed part of the Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur.
Facts
Observatory Typeastronomical observatory 1 LocationMont Gros, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France 1 Measuresdiscovery of minor planets, including 140 found by Auguste Charlois 1 Classification
Observing Band FAQs
Is the Nice Observatory only a historic monument, or is it still used for research?
It is both: the Garnier buildings are open to the public as heritage, and the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur still does research there.
It is both. The Nice Observatory site on Mont Gros belongs to the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, which describes its architectural and scientific heritage as open to the public. The same institution says it is far from looking only to the past: it remains an internationally recognized center for research in Earth sciences and astronomy, and the buildings designed by Charles Garnier now stand alongside precision mechanics, high performance computing centers and virtual observatories. The institution works across four sites, Mont Gros and Valrose in Nice, Sophia Antipolis, and the Plateau de Calern.
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Source Wikipedia: Nice Observatory
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: Nice Observatory
Introduction
An astronomical observatory located in Nice, France, on the summit of Mount Gros.
Introduction, location clause
An astronomical observatory located in Nice, France, on the summit of Mount Gros.
Founding statement
The observatory was founded in 1879, by the banker Raphael Bischoffsheim.
Research achievements section
astronomer Auguste Charlois to discover 140 minor planets
Grande Lunette telescope description
The 77 cm (30 in) refractor telescope made by Henry and Gautier became operational around 1886-1887
In Group: Optical Observatories of Europe, Lead sentence
The Nice Observatory (French: Observatoire de Nice) is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France, on the summit of Mount Gros.
Operated By: Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Infobox: organization
Observatory of the Côte d'Azur
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