34th Starry Nights: Get Out and Discover the Sky!

From August 9 to 11, more than 350 locations welcome the public for free to explore the night sky with the naked eye and through a telescope. The Milky Way and the planets are available to all, in a now traditional guise.

Wherever you are in France, there is bound to be an event near you that invites you to watch the sky. During 34^H The edition of the Starry Nights, “we have the largest mobilization with 575 events organized by more than 360 establishments,” says Eric Bidnoel, Director General of the French Astronomy Association (AFA). If these events presented by more than 3,000 presenters take place over ten days, the main part will take place from Friday, August 9 to Sunday, August 11, 2024.

To find out where to look at the starry sky or planets (at midnight) near your vacation spot or residence, see there Interactive map On the AFA website.

Sky map to help you find your way among the stars.

And so you don't get lost among the many stars that spread across the summer sky, arm yourself with the starry nights map available at all event locations, as well as at Summer issue from sky and space Now on newsstands.

This year's Starry Nights feature the theme of “Origins”, which was the subject of a special edition of the magazine. sky and space“The Great Origin Story” Always Available online.

Best places to watch the sky in France

This major summer astronomical event is also an opportunity for each of us to admire the Milky Way. To do this, you must take advantage of a sky protected from light pollution. While this is still difficult in large cities, there are more and more areas where access to the night sky is increasingly preserved, especially at midnight.

available On our online store And in newsstands (Where can I find it?)

On one of sky and space 596: Stargazer, Best Places in France

And so the magazine sky and space Its summer issue is largely devoted to the progress made in France in terms of sky protection. You’ll find a map of France’s sky quality as well as reports on the country’s five international dark sky reserves. These are the best places to observe the sky in France. But aside from these designated reserves, there are many other very good sites too. A quick glance at the map of France published in Ciel & Espace is enough to identify them. And there are some in almost every region!

Starry nights, including in Paris

Starry Nights also take place in the Paris region, where the sky is more distorted by luminous disturbances. Thus, the AFC organizes an observation evening on August 9 in the Montsouris Park, on August 14^H Paris Circle (City University Station) and another evening at the Jean-Loup Mitton Garden, Jean-Jaurès Street in Montrouge, on August 10. Come in large numbers!

Comets, Guardians of Our Cosmic Historythe new special issue of sky and space

available On our online store And in newsstands (Where can I find it?)