NIGHT OF THE STARS. The Night of the Shooting Stars has been celebrated every year in France since 1991. Between August 9 and 11, the stars are particularly visible in the sky. Discover the program in your region.
The French Astronomy Association (AFA) has been organizing the Night of Shooting Stars since 1991. This year, the event takes place from August 9 to 11. At this time, the moon is less bright, a phenomenon that improves the visibility of stars. This is why the AFA has decided to organize conferences to discover space, how it works and the place of planet Earth in the universe. These events are designed for all ages.
The stars will not only be visible in remote places: in large cities, it will also be possible to participate in the Night of the Stars, even if light pollution is significant. In the capital, self-service telescopes will be set up in several parks. More than 550 events related to the Night of the Stars are organized throughout France.
The 2024 edition of the Night of the Stars will be dedicated to the “quest for origins”, a theme that invites us to delve into the depths of the sky to discover the birth of the stars and the Universe that surrounds us. As every year, events are planned all over France to allow everyone to admire the night sky and use astronomical equipment to discover the celestial vault from a new angle. If you dream of knowing the different constellations at your fingertips or exploring the planet Mars through a telescope, this is the perfect time! Finally, lovers of shooting stars will not be left out in the cold since the period will be favorable thanks to the passage of the Perseids, the most spectacular meteor shower of the year.
To find out what’s on in your city or to discover all the events on offer across the country, visit the website of theFrench Astronomy Association (the AFA). You will find an interactive map of the different events organized as well as links to obtain all the practical information on each of them.
Stargazing in and around Paris is not always easy because of light pollution, which is omnipresent in this highly urbanized region of France. However, residents of the Paris region will be able to enjoy several events organized in the area for the Night of the Stars.
At Montsouris Park, theFrench Astronomy Association offers its traditional observation evening on August 9 starting at 9 p.m. Telescopes will be available for free access to participants.
On the Yvelines side, west of Paris, you can go to the MJC park in Louveciennes to attend a conference “Astronomy for all” at 10:30 p.m. followed by an evening of observing the celestial vault using telescopes. This event is organized by the city astronomy club.
Finally, in Essonne in Saint-Michel-sur-Orge, an evening is planned on Place Léonard de Vinci by the association At the end of the stars to help the curious discover the wonders of the cosmos. Here again, telescopes will be made available to volunteers.
To enjoy the Night of the Stars in Lyon, go to the outskirts of the city, to Vaulx-en-Velin where the Lyon Ampère Astronomy Club (CALA) offers a free evening of entertainment from August 10 at 5 p.m. to August 11 at 1 a.m. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., you can participate in various workshops. There will still be time to watch the Sun set. Then from 8 p.m., binoculars and telescopes will be made available to observe the night sky. A workshop conference “Finding your way in the night sky” will also be offered with free access to those who wish.
On the Lille side, it is in the town of Villeneuve d’Asc, 12 kilometers away that you will have to go. The Science Forum awaits you for planetarium sessions on August 9 and 10 at 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Activities and a conference are also planned for Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 in the afternoon. You can find the full program and access details for the activities on the website of the Departmental Science Forum.
13 kilometers from Brest, theKerzouar Observatory in Saint Renan awaits you for three evenings of sky observation on the occasion of the Night of the Stars. From August 9 to 11, you will be able to admire Saturn as well as the Perseids which will be there. The observatory will offer some telescopes with free access to discover the star clusters, nebulae and galaxies that populate the night sky.
From August 9 at 9:30 p.m. to August 10 at midnight, the Saint-Albe park in Gradignan is offering an observation evening organized by the Maison de la Nature. Equipped with sky maps, you can admire shooting stars from the Perseids shower as well as several planets if the weather permits. The event is completely free and is aimed at young and old alike.
On the Marseille side, the Night of the Stars invites you to Martigues where entertainment awaits you on August 9 from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Organized by the city’s astronomy clubthe animation will take place between the sea and the scrubland, offering an exceptional setting to admire the stars. Around fifteen telescopes will be made available to visitors who will be able to learn how to observe the night sky.
As the city of aerospace, Toulouse is offering a busy programme for the Night of the Stars. On this occasion, the Cité de l’Espace invites you to a big evening on 9 August from 8pm to midnight. On the programme: observation of the sky with a telescope, planetarium sessions and also IMAX. Don’t hesitate to consult the program and reserve your place for free!
Ideally placed at the heart of the school holidays, the Night of the Stars is a magical moment that promises everyone to discover the wonders of the celestial vault. Originally, the event took place over one night only before being extended over three successive days. Today, the Night of the Stars is followed in many towns in France which offer a wide variety of activities. During this event, you will be able to admire the stars and constellations that populate the sky but also certain planets that invite themselves into the summer sky like Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
To have the chance to observe many stars in the night sky, you will need to choose a dark place, spared from light pollution. So avoid built-up areas and favor rural areas where the horizon is clear. Around 10 p.m., when the sun sets and the sky darkens, you should see many stars appear in the sky. If you have a telescope and binoculars, you will be able to distinguish more of them but also discover nebulae and admire planets of the solar system.
Organized by the French Astronomy Association, the Night of the Stars takes place over three days during the summer. In 2024, it will take place from August 9 to 11 and will allow the curious to admire not only stars, constellations but also the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn which will appear in the sky during the night.
The Night of the Stars is an event held every year in August, a time of year when the Perseid meteor shower offers us a wonderful spectacle in the night sky. The latter is caused by the comet Swift Tuttle which circles the Sun leaving behind a trail of debris in space. When the Earth passes through this cloud of dust, some of them cross the atmosphere of our planet and heat up, forming trails of light that can be seen from Earth in the form of shooting stars.