The Pioneers Of Astronomy: An Exhibition At The Observatoire De La Côte D'azur
The Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur located in Nice pays tribute to women with an exhibition entitled The Pioneers of Astronomy. Come and discover the work of these women scientists whose names have often been forgotten!
19 women to rediscover
The exhibition Les pionnières de l'astronomie, which runs until May 13, 2022 at the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur in Nice, pays tribute to women whose names have been unfairly forgotten in the history of science.
This tour, inaugurated a few days after International Women's Rights Day on March 8, invites the public to rediscover the work and biographies of 19 women who have played a major role in the development of our current knowledge in astronomy.
These women were involved in important discoveries in the history of the discipline, but it was often the men they worked with who reaped the rewards.
This was notably the case for Jocelyn Bell, a British astrophysicist born in 1943. She participated in the discovery of Pulsars during her thesis, but as a result of this discovery, the Nobel Prize was awarded to her thesis supervisor, Anthony Hewish, and not to her.
Today, few people remember Nicole-Reine Lepaute, one of the most brilliant scientists of the Enlightenment, or Maria Mitchell, who was the first woman to be appointed professor of astronomy in the United States in 1865.
An instructive exhibition in a sumptuous setting
The Women Pioneers of Astronomy exhibition provides an overview of the careers of these scientists and places their work in the astronomical context of the time.
This event, which is both informative and interactive, allows us to measure their contribution to the construction of our knowledge in astronomy.
Even today, at the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, only 20% of researchers are women. With this exhibition, the institution hopes to encourage young girls and teenagers to become researchers.
Men are not completely forgotten in this exhibition which also evokes six male scientists including Galileo and Albert Einstein ... But, for once, they are not put in the foreground, which is quite unusual!
The visit of the exhibition is guided and commented by a scientific mediator.
In addition to the exhibition itself, which is held in the sumptuous Grand Meridien room, this tour lasts 2h30 and allows you to discover the Great Dome and the Universarium.
Practical information
The exhibition Women Pioneers of Astronomy can be seen at the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur until May 13, 2022.
Visits to the exhibition are by registration only at https://www.oca.eu/fr/visites-individuels (see link at bottom of page).
Date and time of visits
- Saturday, March 19: from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 26: from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 12: from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 19: 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 30: from 2:00 to 4:30 pm
- Wednesday, May 4: from 2:00 to 4:30 pm
- Wednesday, May 11: from 2:00 to 4:30 pm
- Friday, May 13: from 2:00 to 4:30 pm
Address
Observatory of the French Riviera
Boulevard de l'Observatoire
06300 Nice
Contact
Phone : 04 92 00 30 11
Mail : [email protected]
Rates
The rates are the same as those for the public visits of the Observatory.
- Full price: 12 €.
- Senior citizen and Metropolitan Nice Côte d'Azur rate: 10 €.
- Reduced rate: 6 € for children aged 6 to 18 and students.
