A unique event not to be missed!

the 34^H Florence Astronomy Festival (in Gers), which will take place from August 2 to 9, represents a unique opportunity for exploration, wonder, meetings and exchanges, but also for environmental awareness and humility in the face of our entire small place in the history of the universe.

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the Florence Astronomy Festival It is primarily a great moment of escape. Discovering the universe is in fact entering a vast space where distance and time have no bearing on our everyday experience.

Try to imagine: our galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars, and if our star, the Sun, is “only” 152 million kilometers away, then the second closest star is 40 thousand billion kilometers away! The light that reaches us travels for four years at a speed of 300 thousand kilometers per second to reach us.

But you haven't reached the end of your surprises. Do you have any idea how many kilometers you walk every day, without realizing it? If we stick to the Earth's rotation on itself, it is about 40,000 kilometers (inequatorequator). And if we add the revolution around the sun, we should add 2.6 million kilometers per day. All this, without counting the rotation of the sun – and us with it – around the center of our galaxy. So we are hurtling through space at top speed and yet we feel nothing! Amazing, isn't it?

the Florence Astronomy FestivalIt is also a moment of wonder! Who has never been touched or moved by the beauty and richness of the images taken for us by the large space telescopes (yesterday) HubbleHubbleToday, James Webb). A whole world of shapes and ColorsColors Worthy of the greatest painters. Without forgetting the images of our Earth that we see from the sky. It is part of the beauty of the world that is revealed to us in this way.

The festival is a humbling moment as we discover our place in the universe and its history. The universe is 13.4 billion years old, the Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, and life appeared 3.8 billion years ago. The ancestors of the human race appeared 2.8 million years ago. rational humanrational human About 300,000 years ago. The first civilizations (Sumerian and Egyptian) 5,500 years ago and have already disappeared. As for our industrial and technological civilization, it is no more than 300 years old!

The festival is, once again, a moment of environmental awareness: by taking a look at our planet from space, allowing us to see and understand how it works, to be aware of the risks that our activities in its management cause, and to consider, as much as possible, the actions we can take to ensure the necessary transformations. to supportto support.

The festival is, finally, a unique moment to meet, exchange and coexist with researchers, to dialogue, debate and share… in short, to discover each other, get to know each other and have a good time together.

Highlights of programming

The festival is organized around very diverse activities: conferences, courses at all levels, practical workshops, cinema, play area (CHNOPS), observation evenings. It includes activities for adults and activities dedicated to young people (Youth Astronomy Festival).

We invite you to discover some of the highlights of the 2024 festival below.

The Science Marathon You Can't Miss Now

On Saturday, August 3, from noon to midnight: 12 conferences to approach from different angles (from mathematics to literature, including physicalphysicalComputer Science and Biology) Great topic. This year: infinity. A more complex concept than it first appears.

The most recent, but no less important, “transformation marathon”

On Wednesday, August 7, from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm, seven conferences will address the transformations we need to achieve in several areas: water, forests,agricultureagricultureAnd biodiversity and our lifestyles without forgetting to ask ourselves about the means: degradation, ResilienceResilience A day that will end with a debate with scholars, some of whom deeply regret not following their recommendations, and do not hesitate to enter into “rebellion.”

A five-lecture afternoon course on “The Moon.”

To learn everything (or almost everything) about our natural satellite: its composition, its place in African culture, its relationships with Earth, and current and future missions to return there.

Arnaud Saint-Martin's night conference on the new race to the moon will be completed.

A place for young scientists with a course called “New Lights”.

Six conferences selected, prepared and presented by young PhD students from several universities (some of whom also organize the Youth Astronomy Festival). Selections of original topics such as “Rain Forecasts for ironiron“Tonight on an Extraterrestrial Planet” or “How to Make Space Fridges?”, are treated with rigor and enthusiasm.

A new place for young researchers in the 2024 programme that we intend to renew and sustain.

A series of evening conferences on the theme “Life Elsewhere”

My research topic remains as fascinating as ever, and is made even more exciting by the almost daily discovery of new exoplanets.

Look at science differently

Unmissable events as part of tonight's major conferences that invite us to think and see science “differently” or confront us with original and unexpected situations:

• Literature and Astronomy (August 4) Isabel Cerca;
• The Anthropocene (August 5);
• Senegalese Space Agency (August 6) to its director Maram Kerr;
• The underside of the featured images of space, by Sylvain Chatty;
• Secrets of the Sun (August 9), by Miho Janvier. Astro Book Prize 2024.

The third edition of “Village des Chnops”, with more activities

Planetarium, Escape gameEscape game (“Secrets of the Night” and “Searching Under Tension”))Sports, board games, Astroludes courses, making and decorating Chnops, Eliane's Little Stones, and exhibitions (“My Plate, My Planet” and “The InsectsInsects To help the planet”), two Chnops walk through the town of Fleurance and a Rubik's Cube solving workshop at La Méridienne Library.

Daily from Sunday to Friday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm, under the municipality building.

A world of activities to meet and interact with researchers, play together, talk to each other, discover each other, understand each other and share.

Florence Film Festival

On the theme of “Transformations, Science and Society”, it allows you to discover recent and generally new films (in less than an hour format) on this topic.

A jury, chaired this year by Jean-Philippe Ozan, will award the Florence Film Prize.

Films competing for discovery on Website.

For the youngest (from 5 years): Youth Astronomy Festival

The only youth astronomy festival in Europe, organised by a team of young PhD students (mostly from Europe) grouped within the Universciel association, in collaboration with Festival and Instant Science.

Activities revolve around five themes for ages and levels and are complemented by:

• string ” ballball “Stratosphere” where young people will conduct an experiment that will be loaded into a balloon;
• A “Space Exploration” thread that will allow them to discover how to carry out a space mission.

During the week, skywatching evenings are organised at the Hameau des Étoiles (Fleurance) or at the Ferme des Étoiles (Mauroux). Skywatching,eyeeye They are guided naked or using tools by Instant Science facilitators.

Not to mention “Stop”: a musical performance

Saturday 10 August at Domaine du Saux-Neuf (in Florence).

New! This year, the festival is extending its time and putting the sky in song.

A grand dinner show themed around the sky and stars to extend the week.

Article written in partnership with the Florence Festival.