Nice Observatory
October 19, 2004
Nice Observatory — The Nice Observatory (Observatoire de Nice) is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mount Gros (fr: Mont Gros).
The observatory was initiated in 1879 by the banker Rapha�l Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier and Gustave Eiffel designed the main cupola.
The 76 centimeters (30 inches) refractor telescope that went operationnal in 1888 was at that time the world’s largest telescope, it was outperformed one year later by the Lick 36-inches (91 centimeters) refractor.
As a scientific institution the Nice Observatory doesn’t exists anymore, it was merged with the CERGA in 1988 to form the C�te d’Azur Observatory.
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