Biography.guide
Home › People › Measuring instrument maker › Father Noël
Portrait of Father Noël

Father Noël

1712 – 1781

Benedictine monk and telescope maker

Measuring instrument maker
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Father Noël

Lived 1712 – 1781 (aged 68–69). Father Noël was a French measuring instrument maker.

Nicolas Noël (1712-1781) was a Benedictine monk, instrument and telescope maker at the workshop of l'abbaye de Saint-Germain des Prés. He became custodian of Louis XV's telescopes in 1759, having presented an eight foot (focal length) telescope to the king, under the sponsorship of the duc de Chaulnes, on December 14, 1756. Between 1759 and 1774 Dom Noël assembled a collection of his own instruments and those acquired from others in buildings erected for the purpose adjacent to the Château de la Muette. Noêl's position was later held by Abbé Rochon. In 1772 Noël made a 22-inch diameter 24-foot focus Gregorian, which at the time was the largest telescope in the world. The speculum mirror was re-polished by Carochez in 1787. It was installed in Paris at the Hôtel de la Muette (also known as the Cabinet de Passy). The "Grand Telescope of Passy" was too large and cumbersome to serve as an effective scientific instrument, and after being re-mirrored in 1800 was dismantled in 1841.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1712
Birth century
Died
1781
Occupation
Measuring instrument maker
Nationality

People in Father Noël's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Father Noël's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Father Noël?

benedictine monk and telescope maker

When was Father Noël born?

Father Noël was born in 1712.

When did Father Noël die?

Father Noël died in 1781.

What was Father Noël's occupation?

Father Noël was a measuring instrument maker.

What nationality was Father Noël?

Father Noël was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Father Noël

· Wikidata: Q107304167

· DBpedia: Father Noël

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Father Noël. https://biography.guide/father-noel/

MLA: "Father Noël." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/father-noel/.

Chicago: "Father Noël." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/father-noel/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:25 UTC