Nice Observatory

The Nice Observatory (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.

Description
The 77 cm refractor telescope made by Henry and Gautier became operational around 1886–1887, was the largest in a privately funded observatory, and the first at such high altitude (325 m above sea level). It was slightly bigger in aperture, several metres longer, and located at a higher altitude than the new (1895) 30 in at Pulkovo observatory in the Russian Empire, and the 68 cm at Vienna Observatory (completed early 1880s). In the records for the largest refracting telescopes, all three were outperformed by the 36 in refractor installed at the Lick Observatory at 1,283 m altitude in 1889.

As a scientific institution, the Nice Observatory no longer exists. It was merged with CERGA in 1988 to form the Côte d'Azur Observatory, which often is still referred to as "Nice Observatory".

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.

Directors

 * Henri Perrotin (1880–1904)
 * General J. A. L. Bassot (1904–1917)
 * Gaston Fayet (1917–1962)
 * Jean-Claude Pecker (1962–1969)
 * Philippe Delache (1969–1972)
 * 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)