Peak of the South of Bigorre

The peak of the South of Bigorre (in Gascon Occitan peak of Mieidia de Bigòrra ) is located in the Hautes-Pyrénées, and is reached an altitude of: 2877 meters. It is known inter alia for the presence of a astronomical Observatoire and a television relay station.

Geography

It is located in the the French Pyrenees, in the department of the Hautes-Pyrénées, close to Bagnères-with-Bigorre, referring like the city with old the Comté of Bigorre. Being located very in front of the chain, the peak is known for its panorama on the Franco-Spanish assembly line.

It is possible to reach the Peak with foot, by hiking trails, or in Téléphérique, at the beginning of Mongie. This cable car is composed of two sections:

the first section, between Mongie (1 800 m) and Taoulet (2 300 m), comprises several pylons;
the second section, between Taoulet and the Peak of the South (2 872 m), comprises one pylon, close to the station of arrival. It presents a span of 2.550 m length cable between Taoulet and this pylon.

The observatory

The astronomical Observatoire is a high place of observation and research. The Météorologie then the Astronomie were the main motivations of the creation of this observatory.

Astronomy is still at present the field of scientific investigations most important to the Peak of the South. The observatory is attached to the Midday-Pyrenees Observatory. It is a UFR of the Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III).

History

As of the whole beginning of the 18th century, the top of the peak is known to be a place of astronomical observations. It is known that François de Plantade goes up to the Peak on several occasions: he studies for the first scientific time of way the solar crown at the time of the eclipse of 1706. he goes up in 1741 to take there barometric measurements with an aim of drawing up a chart of the dioceses of Languedoc. August 26th, climbing the mountain again, he dies in the collar of Sencours, sextant to the fist, while exclaiming: " Ah! how all this is beautiful! ".

These measurements are followed, since 1774, by those of Monge and of Arcet which go up to the Peak to study the atmospheric pressure there.

The construction of the observatory began in the Années 1870, under the direction of the general Charles of the Wood of Nansouty, and the engineer Célestin Vaussenat. The first earthworks at the top begin in 1875. The first buildings are completed the September 8th 1882.

Thereafter, these buildings were largely supplemented: new terraces, new cupolas, new buildings apartment.

Electricity arrives at the top in 1949. Previously, electrical equipment was supplied by a whole of batteries and a Generator.

A first cable car, dedicated to the transport of the personnel, is installed in 1952, which makes it possible to reach the top in any season.

In 1959 - 1962 is installed the interdepartmental building , which gathers the activities of astronomy, meteorology, television and aerial navigation.

In 1994, the State considers the closing of the observatory. The Midday-Pyrenees area mobilizes, and creates a mixed trade-union for the rehabilitation of the site. The project envisages a rehabilitation of the scientific installations, as well as the opening to the public of part of the site. Thus, the cable car of service is replaced by a new cable car able to accommodate the general public. Important work are begun starting from 1996; the site, in its renovated version, opens in the year 2000.

Telescopes

In 1905 is installed the cupola Baillaud , 8 m in diameter. It is equipped with a mechanical equatorial mounting. It shelters a Lunette and a reflecting Télescope.

In 1946, Mr. Gentilli offers to the observatory a cupola and a telescope of 60 cm.

A spectrograph is installed in 1958.

In 1963, NASA finance the installation of a telescope of 106 cm. It is used to take precise stereotypes of lunar surface within the framework of the preparation of the missions Apollo.

A 28 m high tower and 2 m diameter is built starting from 1972. It is installed with the variation of the other buildings, in order to minimize the atmospheric disturbances. In 1980, it shelters a telescope of 2 m: the telescope Bernard Lyot.

The observatory has a coronographe, which allows the study of the solar Couronne.

Another instrument, installed since 1961, the Cupola Turret (renamed glasses Jean Rösch in 2004, the honor of its creator). This cupola with the characteristic form shelters a glasses 50 cm in diameter intended for the study of the Sun (imagery of surface, study of the granulation). The instrumentation was seen supplemented in 1980 by a spectrograph.

One currently counts at the top:

the telescope of 55 cm (Robley cupola);
the telescope of 60 cm (cupola of T60, accommodating astronomers amateurs via T60 Association);
the telescope of 106 cm (Gentilli cupola) dedicated to the observations of the Solar system;
the telescope of 2 m or Telescope Bernard Lyot (used with spectropolarimeter NARVAL);
coronographe HACO-CLIMSO (study of the solar crown);
the glasses Jean Rösch (study of solar surface);

Also let us quote:

the Charvin cupola, having sheltered a photoelectric coronometer (study of the Sun);
the Baillaud cupola, reallocated with the museum in 2000 and sheltering a model on the scale 1:1 of the Coronographe.

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