PARIS OBSERVATORY

The 'Paris Observatory' (in French, 'Observatoire de Paris' or 'Observatoire de Paris-Meudon') is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centers in the world.

Contents

Constitution

History

Directors

Facilities

Paris

Meudon

Nançay

Saint-Véran

References

Bibliography

External links

Constitution

Administratively, it is a "great establishment" of the ministry charged with higher education, with a status close to that of a public university. Its missions include:^[1]

★ research in astronomy and astrophysics;

★ education (four graduate programs, Ph.D. studies);

★ diffusion of knowledge to the public.

It maintains a solar observatory at Meudon () and a radio astronomy observatory at Nançay.^[2]

History

Its foundation lies in the ambitions of Jean-Baptiste Colbert to extend France's maritime power and international trade in the 17th Century. Louis XIV promoted its construction starting in 1667,^[3] its being completed in 1671. The architect was probably Claude Perrault whose brother, Charles, was secretary to Colbert and superintendent of public works.^[4] Optical instruments were supplied by Giuseppe Campani. The buildings were extended in 1730, 1810, 1834, 1850, and 1951. The last extension incorporates the spectacular Meridian Room designed by Jean Prouvé.^[5]
The world's first national almanac, the ''Connaissance des temps'' was published by the observatory in 1679, using eclipses in Jupiter's satellites to aid sea-fairers in establishing longitude. In 1863, the observatory published the first modern weather maps. In 1882, a 33 cm astrographic lens was constructed, an instrument that catalysed the ill-fated, international ''Carte du Ciel'' project.
In November 1913, the Paris Observatory, using the Eiffel Tower as an antenna, exchanged sustained wireless (radio) signals with the United States Naval Observatory to determine the exact difference of longitude between the two institutions."Paris Time By Wireless," ''New York Times,'' Nov 22, 1913, pg 1.

Directors

★ Giovanni Cassini (1671-1712) ★ Jacques Cassini (1712-1756) ★ César-François Cassini de Thury (1756-1784) ★ Dominique, comte de Cassini (1784-1793) ★ ... ★ Joseph Jérôme Lefrançais de Lalande (1795-1800) ★ Pierre Méchain (1800-1804) ★ Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (1804-1822) ★ Alexis Bouvard (1822-1843) ★ François Arago (1843-1853) ★ Urbain Le Verrier (1854-1870) ★ Charles-Eugène Delaunay (1870-1873) ★ Urbain Le Verrier (1873-1877) ★ Amédée Mouchez (1878-1892)

★ Félix Tisserand (1892-1896) ★ Maurice Loewy (1896-1907) ★ Benjamin Baillaud (1908-1926) ★ Henri-Alexandre Deslandres (1926-1929) ★ Ernest Esclangon (1929-1944) ★ André Danjon (1945-1963) ★ Jean-François Denisse (1963-1967) ★ Jean Delhaye (1967-1971) ★ Raymond Michard (1971-1976) ★ Jacques Boulon (1976-1981) ★ Pierre Charvin (1981-1991) ★ Michel Combes (1991-1999) ★ Pierre Couturier (1999-2003) ★ Daniel Egret (2003-)

Facilities

Paris

Meudon

Nançay

Saint-Véran

Also known as the Observatoire du Pic de Château Renard, the Observatoire de Saint-Véran was built in 1974 on top of the Pic de Château Renard (2900 m), on the commune of Saint-Véran in the Haut Queyras (Hautes Alpes ''département''). A coronograph was in operation there for ten years; the dome was moved there from the Perrault building of the Observatoire de Paris.
Nowadays, the AstroQueyras amateur astronomy association operates the facility, using a 60 cm telescope on loan from the Observatoire de Haute Provence. Numerous asteroids have been discovered there.^[6]

References

1.
2. It was also the home to the International Time Bureau until its dissolution in 1987.Guinot (2000)
3. [Anon.] (2001) "Paris Observatory", ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', Deluxe CDROM edition
4. [Anon.] (2001) "Perrault, Claude", ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', Deluxe CDROM edition
5. [Anon.] (2001) "Prouvé, Jean", ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', Deluxe CDROM edition
6.

Bibliography

★ [Anon.] (2001) "Paris Observatory", ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'', Deluxe CDROM edition

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External links

★ [1] The Paris Observatory (official site, in English)

★ [2] History at official site