Paris, in a good City of Light, is not the place you think
of
for a night under the stars… Which requires maximum darkness.
And yet!
For 31 years, the Night of the Stars has offered the general public the opportunity to familiarize themselves with astronomical observation, including in the capital and its surroundings.
This "great astronomical observation event" makes it possible to "share the beauty of the sky" and to "create an exchange between amateur astronomers and the general public", explains Clément Plantureux, co-organizer of the Night of the Stars on behalf of the French Association of Astronomy (AFA).
All events this Friday evening and this weekend are "free" and do not require any special knowledge.
“Connoisseurs, novices… Everyone can come to one of the Nuit des étoiles sites and observe the stars through the telescopes and glasses made available by the organizers”, invites Clément Busty.
A guaranteed “wow” effect!
"Our objective is to prove to city dwellers that the sky is not excluded from them, that they too can observe the stars", explains Nicolas Franco, mediator at the Cité des sciences, in the 19th arrondissement, who also participates in the event.
“The stars are still much less visible in Paris than in the countryside, concedes Clément Busty, but we can observe things.
»
During this edition of the Night of the Stars, four planets are visible "even with light pollution as intense as in Paris: Saturn at the very beginning of the evening, followed by Jupiter which rises one or two hours later, then Mars around 1 a.m. morning and just before dawn, Venus".
All are “entirely observable with the naked eye” and each year, the element of surprise is part of it.
“People are amazed at everything they can see.
We have an immediate
wow
effect on the rings of Saturn, or even on the craters of the Moon”, laughs Nicolas Franco.
Spots in Paris and in all the departments of Île-de-France
In Paris, you can "have a good time under the stars" at the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, this Friday evening from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Just behind the Geode, four telescopes, an astronomical telescope and private binoculars will allow you to observe the stars and planets.
A dozen mediators will tell the sky to the public.
On the program: scientific explanations, a short conference on exploration and stories of the myths and legends that surround the constellations.
No astronomical activity in Paris this Saturday evening, but on Sunday, the Night of the Stars takes place in the square Louise-Michel (18th century) in the presence of the AFA.
Here, as on all the sites taking part in the Night of Stars, instruments are available to scan the sky.
Other sites outside the capital nevertheless make it possible to observe the stars on Saturday evening.
Here, in detail, the places and dates of the proposed events:
Paris :
Friday August 5 - City of Science and Industry (19th century).
Sunday August 7 - square Louise-Michel (18th century).
Seine-Saint-Denis:
Friday and Saturday August 5 and 6 - Atlas Center for Scientific Culture, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine.
Saturday August 6 - Air and Space Museum, Le Bourget.
Hauts-de-Seine:
Saturday August 6 - Jardin Fertile, Montrouge.
Val d'Oise :
Friday August 5 - Bois de Morval, Cléry-en-Vexin.
Saturday August 6 - Club astro Albiréo 95, Beaumont-sur-Oise.
Seine et Marne :
Saturday August 6 - Uranoscope of Île-de-France, Gretz-Armainvilliers.
Sunday August 7 - Val de Seine Astronomy Club, Vaux-le-Pénil.
Essone:
Friday August 5 - At the end of the stars, Saint-Michel-sur-Orge.
Saturday August 6 - Astroclub Vayrois, Vayres-sur-Essonne.
Read alsoNight of the stars 2022 in Essonne: what are the activities near you?
Yvelines:
Saturday August 6 - Albireo78, Le Mesnil-Saint-Denis.
For those who would like to take advantage of the stars on their side, Clément Busty recommends finding “a place in height” with “a clear horizon”.
And there are bound to be some in your area:
Paris:
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont (19th century) (open until midnight).
Seine-Saint-Denis:
the Jean-Moulin park in Montreuil.
Val-de-Marne:
the Parc des Lilas in Vitry-sur-Seine;
the plateau departmental park in Champigny-sur-Marne;
the quarry eco-park in Fontenay-sous-Bois.
Hauts-de-Seine:
the terrace of the Meudon observatory and the national domain of Saint-Cloud.
Val-d'Oise:
the mound of Orgemont in Argenteuil.
Seine-et-Marne:
Rocher Cassepot in the forest of Fontainebleau.
Essonne:
the Limours plateau.
Yvelines:
the terrace of the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the People of the Grass park in Carrières-sous-Poissy.
