![Lanature1873 telescope foucault](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Lanature1873_telescope_foucault.png)
Marseille Observatory (french: Observatoire de Marseille) is an
astronomical observatory located in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, with a history that goes back to the early 18th century. In its 1877 incarnation, it was the discovery site of a group of galaxies known as
Stephan's Quintet, discovered by its director
Édouard Stephan
Édouard Jean-Marie Stephan (31 August 1837 – 31 December 1923) was a French astronomer. His surname is sometimes spelled Stéphan in some literature, but this is apparently erroneous.
He was born in Sainte Pezenne (today one of the districts ...
. Marseille Observatory is now run as a joint research unit by
Aix-Marseille University
Aix-Marseille University (AMU; french: Aix-Marseille Université; formally incorporated as ''Université d'Aix-Marseille'') is a public research university located in the Provence region of southern France. It was founded in 1409 when Louis II o ...
and the
French National Center for Scientific Research
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe.
In 2016, it employed 31,637 ...
(CNRS).
The old Palais Longchamps facilities are a noted tourist destination in Marseilles area, and a
planetarium was also added in 2001.
One of the noted exhibits is the
Foucault glass-mirror telescope, and various items from centuries of astronomical activities.
Foucault's telescope is a noted historical example because it was the forerunner of the modern style of big
reflecting telescopes
A reflecting telescope (also called a reflector) is a telescope that uses a single or a combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image. The reflecting telescope was invented in the 17th century by Isaac Newton as an alternat ...
which use a minute layer of metal on a figured piece of glass. Before this, the main technology was to make the whole mirror of metal, and it would really be another half-century before silvered glass
mirrors
A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the ima ...
really caught on for astronomy. A major change in the 20th century was to change from using solution to coat the glass with silver, to use a vapor deposition process.
18th century
The observatory was founded in 1701 in montee des Accoules (this is a location near
Vieux Port
Vieux may refer to:
Places
*Vieux, Calvados, in the Calvados department, France
* Vieux, Tarn, in the Tarn department, France
* Vieux-Bourg, in the Calvados department, France
* Vieux-Fumé, in the Calvados department, France
* Vieux-Pont-en-Auge ...
, Marseille, France).
Antoine Laval was the first director.
The
1761 Transit of Venus
file:Venus transit symbol.svg, frameless, upright=0.5
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and a inferior and superior planets, superior planet, becoming visible against (and hence ...
was observed from the Marseilles Observatory.
A telescope 6 feet long made by
James Short was used for this observation.
These observations were conducted by the astronomer Louis Lagrange.
In 1789
Jean-Louis Pons
Jean-Louis Pons (24 December 176114 October 1831) was a French astronomer. Despite humble beginnings and being self-taught, he went on to become the greatest visual comet discoverer of all time: between 1801 and 1827 Pons discovered thirty-seven ...
began work at Marseille Obs. as a doorkeeper, but he also received lesson in astronomy; by 1801 he discovered his first comet.
Pons would become one of the most prolific comet discovers, finding 37 in all a significant portion of all
comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ar ...
discoveries for a quarter of a century.
19th century
Astronomer
Jean-Félix Adolphe Gambart
Jean-Félix Adolphe Gambart (12 May 1800 – 23 July 1836) was a French astronomer.
He was born in Sète in Hérault department, the son of a sea captain. His intelligence was noticed at a young age by Alexis Bouvard, who persuaded him to joi ...
discovered 16 comets from the old observatory.
Another astronomer of Marseilles Observatory was
Benjamin Valz
Jean Elias Benjamin Valz (May 27, 1787 – April 22, 1867) was a French astronomer.
He was born in Nîmes and trained as an engineer. He was the son of politician Jean Valz and the grandson of the doctor, meteorologist and naturalist Pierre ...
.
Jean-Louis Pons (1761-1831) discovered his first comet in 1801, and went on to find 37 more in his career much of it at Marsielles Obs.
The
Comet Pons-Brook was discovered by J.L. Pons in July 1812, however it was not seen again until June 1883.
(The next time it was recovered was in 1953.)
Some other famous comets discovered by Pons include
7P/Pons–Winnecke,
12P/Pons–Brooks, and
273P/Pons–Gambart, among many others.
(see also
Comet Pons Comet Pons may refer to any one of these comets:
* C/1801 N1
* C/1802 Q1
* C/1804 E1
* C/1806 V1 (a.k.a. 1806 II)
* C/1808 F1 (a.k.a. 1808 I)
* C/1808 M1 (a.k.a. 1808 II)
* C/1810 Q1
* C/1811 W1 (a.k.a. 1811 II)
* C/1813 C1 (a.k.a. 1813 I)
...
)
Pons also discovered comets that came to be known by other names including
Encke's Comet
Comet Encke , or Encke's Comet (official designation: 2P/Encke), is a periodic comet that completes an orbit of the Sun once every 3.3 years. (This is the shortest period of a reasonably bright comet; the faint main-belt comet 311P/PanSTARRS has ...
,
Comet Crommelin, and
Biela's Comet
Biela's Comet or Comet Biela (official designation: 3D/Biela) was a periodic Jupiter-family comet first recorded in 1772 by Montaigne and Messier and finally identified as periodic in 1826 by Wilhelm von Biela. It was subsequently observed to ...
.
This is not unusual as comet discoveries are sometimes later determined to be re-discoveries of previously observed comets or co-discoveries (discovered at the same time by others). Similarly, some comets were named for the first person to compute the comet's orbit, as in the case of
Halley's comet
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the o ...
.
In 1863 Marseilles Observatory became a branch of the
Paris Observatory.
This led to a new building inaugurated by 1864, designed by the architect of
Notre Dame de la Garde, also the 80 cm reflector was installed by that year
(at the
Palais Longchamp
The Palais Longchamp is a monument in the 4th arrondissement of Marseille, France. It houses the Musée des beaux-arts and Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Marseille. The surrounding Longchamp Park (French: ''Parc Longchamp'') is listed by the F ...
site).
Work continued on improvements and by 1866 a
Comet Seeker
A comet seeker is a type of small telescope adapted especially to searching for comets: commonly of short focal length and large aperture, in order to secure the greatest brilliancy of light. This style of telescope was used to discover the aste ...
telescope of 18 cm aperture by Martin, and 25.8 cm (10.25") aperture refractor by Merz by 1872.
The Merz refractor was on
equatorial mounting with governor done by Foucault.
Foucault operated his 80 cm
silver-on-glass reflector at Marseille Observatory, a telescope with aperture 80 cm (31.5 inches) from about 1862 to its retirement in 1965.
The telescope was noted for being a pioneering design, that used
silver-coated glass in a reflecting telescope.
There was also instruments and facilities for magnetic studies.
1872 Marseilles reported several new nebula discovered using the Eichens searcher.
In 1873 Marseilles Observatory announced the discovery of 300 new nebula.
Of these 75 had there positions accurately cataloged, which was done by comparing the location of the nebula with previously cataloged stars of known position.
In 1873 Marseilles Observatory detached from Paris Observatory.
In 1874 the Comet
C/1874 H1 was discovered from the observatory.
20th century
In 1914, the
Orion nebula was observed with the Perot-Fabry
interferometer.
In 1965 the Foucault 80 cm reflecting telescope was retired.
In 1989 the Marseille telescope was completed at the observatory, and then sent to the
southern hemisphere later that year.
The telescope is a reflecting telescope with 36 cm (~14.2") diameter mirror with a low-expansion glass-ceramic and of the
Richey-Chrétien type.
Starting in 1990 Marseille Observatory had a study of
H alpha (''H-alpha'' (''Hα'')) in the southern galactic plane.
This included observations of the
Magellanic Clouds
The Magellanic Clouds (''Magellanic system'' or ''Nubeculae Magellani'') are two irregular dwarf galaxies in the southern celestial hemisphere. Orbiting the Milky Way galaxy, these satellite galaxies are members of the Local Group. Because bo ...
also.
This study used the 36 cm Marsielle telescope at La Silla observatory in the southern hemisphere for data.
The telescope was equipped with both a photon counter and a Fabry-Perot interferometer for this study.
In 1999 a Marseilles Observatory published a study on simulating the formation of
proto-planets and
planetesimal
Planetesimals are solid objects thought to exist in protoplanetary disks and debris disks. Per the Chamberlin–Moulton planetesimal hypothesis, they are believed to form out of cosmic dust grains. Believed to have formed in the Solar System a ...
s with a large planetary body.
This simulation used the
GRAPE-4 system.
2000s
In 2000, Marseille Observatory merged with the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique Spatiale to become the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM) within the broader Observatoire Astronomique Marseille Provence which also included the
Haute-Provence Observatory
The Haute-Provence Observatory (OHP, french: Observatoire de Haute-Provence) is an astronomical observatory in the southeast of France, about 90 km east of Avignon and 100 km north of Marseille. It was established in 1937 as a national ...
.
In 2008, LAM was relocated to a new 10,000 square meter facility in the Technopôle Chateau-Gombert in Marseille. The facility includes two major technology platforms for qualification of space instruments and for fabrication and metrology of optical mirrors. LAM astronomers specialize in
cosmology
Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount (lexicographer), Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in ...
and
galaxy evolution
The study of galaxy formation and evolution is concerned with the processes that formed a heterogeneous universe from a homogeneous beginning, the formation of the first galaxies, the way galaxies change over time, and the processes that have gen ...
,
exoplanet
An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first possible evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917 but was not recognized as such. The first confirmation of detection occurred in 1992. A different planet, init ...
s and
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
, and R&D in optics and instrumentation.
In 2012, the Observatoire Astronomique Marseille Provence merged with other earth-sciences research institutes from
Aix-Marseille University
Aix-Marseille University (AMU; french: Aix-Marseille Université; formally incorporated as ''Université d'Aix-Marseille'') is a public research university located in the Provence region of southern France. It was founded in 1409 when Louis II o ...
and became a new entity called the Observatoire des Science de l'Univers Institut Pythéas (OSU-IP) which now includes 6 major labs for earth and universe sciences: CEREGE, IMBE, MIO, LAM. LPED, MIO as well as the Haute-Provence Observatory.
Marseille Observatory Palais Longchamp facilities
![Honeymoon-433_(14586751896)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Honeymoon-433_%2814586751896%29.jpg)
The old Marseille Observatory site is a noted
tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
Types
Places of natural b ...
in the
Palais Longchamp
The Palais Longchamp is a monument in the 4th arrondissement of Marseille, France. It houses the Musée des beaux-arts and Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Marseille. The surrounding Longchamp Park (French: ''Parc Longchamp'') is listed by the F ...
area. Exhibits include the Foucault telescope, and there is also a
planetarium.
The planetarium has 30-seats and opened in 2001.
The facilities at Plateau longchamp date the 1860s, the older site was at Vieux Port.
Directors
*
Antoine Laval, 1702-1728
*
Esprit Pézenas Esprit Pézenas (28 November 1692 – 4 February 1776) was a French Jesuit astronomer, hydrographer, and mathematician who worked at the observatory in Marseilles. Through his writings and teaching he spread ideas on astronomy, mathematics and navi ...
, 1729-1763
*
Saint-Jacques de Silvabelle, 1763-1801
*
Jacques-Joseph Thulis, 1801-1810
*
Jean-Jacques Blanpain, 1810-1821
*
Jean-Félix Adolphe Gambart
Jean-Félix Adolphe Gambart (12 May 1800 – 23 July 1836) was a French astronomer.
He was born in Sète in Hérault department, the son of a sea captain. His intelligence was noticed at a young age by Alexis Bouvard, who persuaded him to joi ...
, 1821-1836
*
Benjamin Valz
Jean Elias Benjamin Valz (May 27, 1787 – April 22, 1867) was a French astronomer.
He was born in Nîmes and trained as an engineer. He was the son of politician Jean Valz and the grandson of the doctor, meteorologist and naturalist Pierre ...
, 1836-1860
*
Charles Simon, known as ''Darembert'', 1861-1863
* Auguste Voigt, 1863-1865
Dictionnaire des Astronomes Français 1850-1950 : lettres U et V
page 18/32, publié le 24 sur le site de l'observatoire de Haute-Provence
The Haute-Provence Observatory (OHP, french: Observatoire de Haute-Provence) is an astronomical observatory in the southeast of France, about 90 km east of Avignon and 100 km north of Marseille. It was established in 1937 as a nationa ...
(consulté le 8 juin 2019)
* Édouard Stephan
Édouard Jean-Marie Stephan (31 August 1837 – 31 December 1923) was a French astronomer. His surname is sometimes spelled Stéphan in some literature, but this is apparently erroneous.
He was born in Sainte Pezenne (today one of the districts ...
, 1866-1907
* Henry Bourget
Henry may refer to:
People
* Henry (given name)
*Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal ...
, 1907-1921
* Henri Buisson
Henri Buisson (; 18731944) was a French physicist. Buisson and Charles Fabry discovered the ozone layer in 1913.
Buisson was born on 15 July 1873 in Paris and died on 6 January 1944 in Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English a ...
, (directeur intérimaire) 1921-1923
* Jean Bosler
Jean Bosler (24 March 1878, Angers – 25 September 1973, Marseille) was a French astronomer and author of several books.
Recruited by Deslandres as an astronomer at l’observatoire de Paris, Bosler discovered in 1908 in the spectrum of Comet M ...
, 1923-1948
* Charles Fehrenbach, 1948-1971
* James Lequeux, 1983-1988 ;
* Roger Malina
Roger Malina (born July 6, 1950) is an American physicist, astronomer, Executive Editor of ''Leonardo Publications'' by Leonardo, the International Society of Arts, Sciences and Technology (published by MIT Press) and distinguished professor of a ...
, 2008-
See also
*List of astronomical observatories
This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in ...
*List of largest optical telescopes of the 19th century
List of largest optical telescopes in the 19th century, are listings of what were, for the time period of the 19th century large optical telescopes. See List of largest optical telescopes in the 20th century for the 1900s. The list includes various ...
References
External links
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
updated Jan. 2014
OSU-Institut Pythéas
updated Jan. 2014
Observatoire de Haute Provence
updated Jan. 2014
Marseille Observatory Astronomical Museum
Publications of Marseille Observatory
digitalized on Paris Observatory digital library
{{Authority control
Astronomical observatories in France
Museums in France