Telescope's origin and purpose

A 106 cm telescope located at an altitude of 2,877 meters in the Hautes-Pyrénées has been in operation since 1963. Funded by NASA, the telescope was originally used to take detailed photographs of the lunar surface, contributing to preparations for the Apollo missions.

Photographic achievements and technical details

Over nearly a decade, it produced nearly 60,000 photographs of the Moon, which were used to create a lunar atlas at a scale of one millionth. This atlas helped in selecting landing sites for Apollo 11, which landed on July 20, 1969. The original mirror of the telescope came from the United States, but it was quickly replaced by a mirror from the optician Jean Texereau due to poor quality. The photographs were sent by plane to the United States for development and study, as there was no internet or digital transmission at the time.

Historical context of the telescope's structure

The dome that shelters the telescope was manufactured in 1925 in Paris and donated by Marcel Gentili, standing at the summit since 1947. The telescope's work was part of a program conducted with astronomer Zdeněk Kopal and the University of Manchester. The site was chosen for its low light pollution and technological advantages.

Scientific advancements and continued use

In 1964, an experiment using a laser allowed the distance between the Earth and the Moon to be determined with a precision of a few decimeters. After the completion of the lunar mission, the telescope did not retire but continued its operations. Today, it observes planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, as well as comets. Observers at Pic du Midi follow the storms on the giant planets, similar to weather reports, night after night. The telescope's sharpness is attributed to the stable air at the summit, which reduces atmospheric turbulence.

Expansion and current operations

The observatory has expanded over the years, with the Bernard-Lyot telescope installed in 1980 at the top of a 28 m column. The site now hosts seven astronomical observatories, five of which have scientific instruments still in operation. Among them, a 60 cm telescope has been entrusted to an amateur association, the T60 association, since 1982.