Named for the French city, located in the foothills of the western Alps. Originally the center of the indigenous population of the Allobroges, Grenoble took its name “Gratianopolis”, from the Roman Emperor Flavius Gratianus (375–383). It became part of the French kingdom in the thirteenth century. Grenoble today is a very important industrial and research center. Some of its scientific facilities and institutions are connected with the prestigious Joseph Fourier University: a synchrotron accelerator, the astronomical observatory, the headquarters of the International Institute for Millimetric Radioastronomy, the glaciology laboratory and the new planetary sciences laboratory. (M 35486) Name suggested and citation prepared by M. Fulchignoni. _ _.