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. Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Constitution

Administratively, it is a "great establishment" of the ministry charged with higher education, with a status close to that of a public university. The grands établissements are French public institutions under ministerial charter The Ministry of National Education Advanced Instruction and Research (Ministre de l'Éducation nationale de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche or simply "Minister of Its missions include:^[1]

• research in astronomy and astrophysics;
• education (four graduate programs, Ph.D. studies);
• diffusion of knowledge to the public. Astrophysics is the branch of Astronomy that deals with the Physics of the Universe, including the physical properties ( Luminosity, "PhD" redirects here for other uses see PhD (disambiguation.

Meridian Room (or Cassini Room) at the Paris Observatory. The Paris Meridian is traced on the floor. The Paris Meridian is a meridian line running through the Paris Observatory in Paris, France -- now longitude 2°20′14

It maintains a solar observatory at Meudon ( 48°48′18.32″N, 2°13′51.61″E) and a radio astronomy observatory at Nançay. Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. The Nançay Decimetric Radio Telescope (official abbreviation NRT) is located in the small town of Nançay, two hours' drive south of Paris, France ^[1] It was also the home to the International Time Bureau until its dissolution in 1987. The Bureau International de l'Heure (BIH or the International Time Bureau, seated at the Paris Observatory, was the international bureau responsible for combining ^[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. Jean-Baptiste Colbert ( August 29, 1619 — September 6, 1683) served as the French minister of finance from 1665 to 1683 under This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar Louis XIV promoted its construction starting in 1667,^[3] its being completed in 1671. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent The architect was probably Claude Perrault whose brother, Charles, was secretary to Colbert and superintendent of public works. An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction Though Claude Perrault (Paris September 25, 1613 - Paris 1688 is best known as the Architect of the eastern range of the Louvre in Paris Jean-Baptiste Colbert ( August 29, 1619 — September 6, 1683) served as the French minister of finance from 1665 to 1683 under ^[4] Optical instruments were supplied by Giuseppe Campani. Giuseppe Campani (1635-1715 was an Italian optician and Astronomer who lived in Rome during the latter half of the 17th century The buildings were extended in 1730, 1810, 1834, 1850, and 1951. Year 1730 ( MDCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January ^[3] The last extension incorporates the spectacular Meridian Room designed by Jean Prouvé. Jean Prouvé ( 8 April 1901 - 23 March 1984) was a French Architect and Designer. ^[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. Longitude (ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd or ˈlɒŋgɪˌtjuːd symbolized by the Greek character Lambda (λ is the east-west Geographic coordinate measurement In 1863, the observatory published the first modern weather maps. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A weather map is a tool used to display information quickly showing the analysis of various meteorological quantities at various levels of the atmosphere In 1882, a 33 cm astrographic lens was constructed, an instrument that catalysed the ill-fated, international Carte du Ciel project. Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International An Astrograph ( astrographic camera) is a telescope designed for the sole purpose of Astrophotography. A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate Axial symmetry which transmits and refracts Light, converging or diverging Carte du Ciel ("Map of the Sky" was an international project to map the positions of millions of Stars &mdash that is to say of all stars to the 11th or 12th

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. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built An antenna is a Transducer designed to transmit or Receive electromagnetic waves In other words antennas convert electromagnetic waves into The United States Naval Observatory ( USNO) is one of the oldest Scientific agencies in the United States. ^[6]

Directors

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). Joseph Jérôme Lefrançais de Lalande ( July 11, 1732 &ndash April 4, 1807) was a French Astronomer and writer Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year -of the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was 11 days ahead of the Julian calendar until Friday, but 12 days ahead since Saturday. Pierre François André Méchain ( August 16, 1744 &ndash September 20, 1804) was a French Astronomer and surveyor Year 1804 ( MDCCCIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Jean Baptiste Joseph chevalier Delambre ( September 19, 1749 Amiens - August 19, 1822 Paris) was a French Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the Alexis Bouvard ( June 27, 1767 &ndash June 7, 1843) was a French Astronomer. Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common François Jean Dominique Arago ( Francesc Joan Dominic Aragó; 26 February 1786 2 October 1853 was a French Catalan Mathematician, Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier ( March 11, 1811 &ndash September 23, 1877) was a French Mathematician who specialized in Celestial Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Charles-Eugène Delaunay ( April 9, 1816 &ndash August 5, 1872) was a French Astronomer and Mathematician. Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier ( March 11, 1811 &ndash September 23, 1877) was a French Mathematician who specialized in Celestial Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Amédée Ernest Barthélemy Mouchez ( August 24, 1821 &ndash June 29, 1892) was a French Naval officer who became Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year François Félix Tisserand ( January 13, 1845 - October 20, 1896) was a French Astronomer. Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Maurice (Moritz Loewy ( April 15, 1833 &ndash October 15, 1907) was a French Astronomer. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Édouard Benjamin Baillaud ( February 14, 1848 &ndash July 8, 1934) was a French Astronomer. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Henri Alexandre Deslandres ( July 24, 1853 &ndash January 15, 1948) was a French Astronomer, director of the Meudon Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ernest Benjamin Esclangon ( March 17, 1876 &ndash January 28, 1954) was a French Astronomer and Mathematician Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. André-Louis Danjon ( April 6, 1890 &ndash April 21, 1967) was a French Astronomer born in Caen. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Saint-Véran is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France in the Queyras Regional Natural Park Hautes-Alpes ( Occitan: Auts Aups) is a department in southeastern France named after the Alps mountain range A coronograph was in operation there for ten years; the dome was moved there from the Perrault building of the Observatoire de Paris. A coronagraph is a telescopic attachment designed specifically to block out the harsh direct light from a Star, so that nearby objects can be resolved without burning

Nowadays, the AstroQueyras amateur astronomy association operates the facility, using a 60 cm telescope on loan from the Observatoire de Haute Provence. The Observatoire de Haute-Provence (OHP Haute-Provence Observatory in English was established in 1937 as a national facility for French Astronomers Numerous asteroids have been discovered there. Asteroids, sometimes called Minor planets or planetoids', are bodies—primarily of the inner Solar System —that are smaller than planets but ^[7]

References

Bibliography

• [Anon. ] (2001) "Paris Observatory", Encyclopaedia Britannica, Deluxe CDROM edition
• Aubin, D. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc (2003). "The fading star of the Paris Observatory in the nineteenth century: astronomers' urban culture of circulation and observation". Osiris 18: 79-100.   [1]

• Guinot, B. (2000). "History of the Bureau International de l'Heure". Polar Motion: Historical and Scientific problems: 175-184.  

External links

• The Paris Observatory (official site, in English)
• History at official site