In 1789, he began working for the Marseille Observatory as a caretaker, and gradually gained some experience in assisting the astronomers with observations.

He learned to make observations himself, showing a remarkable ability to remember star fields and note changes in them.

[2] In 1819, Pons became the director of the new observatory at Marlia near Lucca, which he left in 1825 to teach astronomy at La Specola, in Florence.

[4] Around that time he accepted the opportunity to become Director of the Florence Observatory at the request of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

[1] By 1827, Pons's eyesight had begun to fail, and he retired from observing altogether shortly before his death, on 14 October 1831.