Description

Geographical position 

Observatoire de Algiers-Bouzareah -- Centre de Recherche en Astronomie Astrophysique et Géophysique (CRAAG),
Route de l’Observatoire B.P 63 Bouzaréah, Algiers, Algeria, North Africa

Location 

Latitude 36°47’52’’ N, Longitude 3°01’56’’ E, Elevation ...m above mean sea level.

IAU observatory code 

008

Description of (scientific/cultural/natural) heritage 

The "Observatoire astronomique de Bouzareah" was founded in 1890. The seismological station was founded in 1910.
It was merged with the "Institut de Météorologie et de Physique du Globe" d’Alger (IMPGA, 1931).

In the years 1891 and 1911, Algiers Observatory participated in the Astrographic Catalogue Carte du Ciel,
and observed the zone between -2 and +4 degrees by exposing 1,260 photographic plates.
Another research activity was the study of minor planets and comets, discoveries of asteroids between 1892 and 1940.

In 1980, the institut was renamed in "Centre National d’Astronomie, Astrophysique et Géophysique" (CNAAG),
and again renamed in "Centre de Recherche en Astronomie, Astrophysique et Géophysique" (CAAG) in 1985.

History 

Instruments

• 19-cm-Meridian Circle - Grand Cercle Méridien (f= 2.30m), Gautier of Paris (1888)
  
• Small Meridian Circle (Lunette Méridienne), Brunner
  
  
• 34-cm-Astrographe (f=3.43m), Equatorial Photographique, Gautier of Paris
  
• Double Astrographe
  
• Measuring apparatus for photographic plates of the Carte du ciel
  
  
• 50-cm-Télescope de Foucault-Newton (focal length 3m), 1890, original wooden mounting, replaced by a metallic mounting in the 1920s
  
• Small 33-cm-Télescope de Foucault-Newton, equatorial mounting
  
  
• 32-cm-Equatorial Coudé, Gautier of Paris (focal length 6.6m)
  
  
• Astrolabe de Danjon
  
  
• 81-cm-Ritchey-Chrétien-Reflecting Telescope (modern)
  

Directors and Astronomers of Algiers Observatory

• Charles Simon dit Darembert,
  Algiers director 1858--1859, magnetic and meteorological observations, later in 1861 director in Marseille
  
  
• Charles Trépied (1845--1907),
  founder and first director of Algiers Observatory, 1880 to 1907,
  started the Carte du Ciel project in Algiers
  
  
• François Gonnessiat (1856--1934),
  studied in Lyon, worked at the Observatory of Lyon,
  Quito Observatory, director in 1901,
  Algiers Observatory, director from 1907 to 1931,
  installed an seismological service, discovered two asteroids,
  continued with the Carte du Ciel until 1924
  
  
• Frédéric Sy (1861--1919),
  born in Paris, worked at Paris Observatory, 1879 to 1887,
  Algiers Observatory, assistant 1887 to 1918, discovered two asteroids El Djezair und Bouzaréah
  
  
• Joanny-Philippe [John Louis] Lagrula (1870--1941),
  studied in Lyon, and worked at the Observatory of Lyon,
  director of Quito Observatory, 1906, then Nice Observatory until 1924,
  Algiers Observatory, director from 1931 to 1938
  
  
• Benjamin Pavlovich Jekhowsky [Zhekhovskii] (1881--1975),
  studied in Moskow, worked at Paris Observatory in 1912, and then in Algiers Observatory,
  specialist in celestial mechanics, discovered 12 minor planets
  
  
• Guy Reiss (1904--1964),
  Algiers Observatory, 1930s, later at Nice Observatory, discovered 5 minor planets
  
  
• Paul Queney (1905--1978), meteorologist
  
  
• Alfred Schmitt (1907--1973/75),
  Algiers Observatory, 1930s and 1940s, discovered 4 asteroids,
  in the 1950s at the Royal Observatory in Uccle, Belgium,
  1955 to 1958 director of Quito Observatory, Ecuador
  
  
• Odette Bancilhon (1908--1993),
  Algiers Observatory, 1930s and 1940s, married Alfred Schmitt,
  discovered the asteroid 1333 Cevenola
  
  
• Jean Coulomb (1904--1999), director 1937, geophysics
  
  
• Louis Boyer (1901--1999),
  astronomer, discovered 40 asteroids between 1930 and 1952
  
  
• Jean Dubief (1903--2000),
  meteorologist, 1913 Algiers, 1931 observatoire de Tamanrasset,
  1945 director in Algiers Observatory
  
  
• Jean Louis Lagrula (1906--1988),
  born in Quito, 1951 à 1953 director in Algiers Observatory,
  1955/57 and 1961/68 astronomer
  
  
• Hadj Benhallou (1937--2011),
  1980 bis 1998 director in Algiers Observatory, renaming in CNAAG, seismologist
  
  
• Abdelkarim Yelles Chaouch, seismologist
  
  
• Nassim Seghouani (IAU)
  

Comparison with related/similar sites 

Algiers was erected as a colonial French observatory; thus it has similarity to the French observatories with a meridian circle and a Carte du ciel astrograph.

Present use 

The observatory is used for astronomy and geophysics.

Astronomical relevance today 

Algiers is an astronomical observatory today, in addition, Algeria plans to build two astronomical and space observatories in Ahaggar and Aures, a joint project between the University of Annaba, the Astrophysics Graduate School of the University of Constantine and the Research Centre in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics of Algiers (CRAAG).

References

Bibliography (books and published articles) 

• Bouzid, M.Y.: Photometric instrumentation at Algiers Observatory. In: Interplay of Periodic, Cyclic and Stochastic Variability in Selected Areas of the H-R Diagram. Edited by C. Sterken. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP Conf. Ser. 292) 2003.
  
  
• Véron, Philippe: Gonnessiat, François (1856--1934). In: Dictionnaire des Astronomes Français 1850--1950, 27 septembre 2016, lettre G.
  
  
• Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (ed.): Cultural Heritage of Astronomical Observatories -- From Classical Astronomy to Modern Astrophysics.Proceedings of International ICOMOS Symposium in Hamburg, October 14--17, 2008. Berlin: hendrik Bäßler-Verlag (International Council on Monuments and Sites, Monuments and Sites XVIII) 2009.
  

Links to external sites 

• CRAAG, Algeria (Homepage)
  
  
• "Minor Planet Discoverers (Alphabetically)." Minor Planet Center.
  
  
• Algeria is getting two astronomical and space observatories.