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The
Observatoire de Nice (
Nice Observatory) is located in
Nice, France on the summit of Mont Gros. The observatory was initiated in
1879 by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier, and Gustave Eiffel designed the main dome.
The 76-cm (30-inch) refractor telescope that became operational in
1888 was at that time the world's largest telescope. It was outperformed one year later by the 36-inch (91-cm) refractor at the Lick Observatory.
As a scientific institution, the Nice Observatory no longer exists. It was merged with CERGA in
1988 to form the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur.
See also
* List of largest optical refracting telescopes
* List of largest optical reflecting telescopes
* List of observatories
* Wikipedia Project: Telescopes & Observatories
Category:Astronomical observatories in France
Category:Nice
