Holidays 2022: Planets, stars, supermoon, Perseids… Where and when to watch the sky this summer?

Summer is the perfect time to practice astronomy. The skies are clear, the nights are warm and the astronomical phenomena are numerous, these are all good reasons to spend the night outside the stars.

A summer rich in natural phenomena

In June 2022 a “great alignment of planets” occurred, but it was not the only phenomenon that could be observed in the sky this summer. So open your eyes wide because there are so many appointments.

First of all, as of Wednesday, July 13, you will be able to see a file Super Moon. Our night star will be closer to Earth and it will be possible to see it bigger and brighter than ever before. To observe this in the best conditions, you need to hope for clear weather and as far as possible from the light pollution of major cities.

This year the most famous nightshooting stars It will be held again in August. The Perseid meteor shower will be visible from July 20 to August 25, with peak activity on the night of August 12-13. No telescope or binoculars will be necessary, you will just have to keep your eyes glued to the sky as it is moving at about 50 km/s.

Finally, to get the best outfit amongst you, you will have to take out the telescope on Saturday 16th July to observe a conjunction (the combination of two celestial bodies) between Saturn and the Moon. On July 19, it will slide just below Jupiter, and finally on July 26 Venus who will be under the natural satellite. Finally on August 14 you can notice Saturn closest to Earth We hope to distinguish between these rings.

Occitanie, the place stargazers dream of

Occitanie is one of the regions where admiring the stars is easiest. In fact, it houses two Three International Reserves for the Dark Sky Recognized in France: Seven National Park And the the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. Cévennes National Park is also the largest international dark sky reserve in Europe.

You can also observe the stars in many Observatories and planetariums from the region. for example Planet Tarn in Montreidon Lapisoni It will give you access to a 410mm telescope and a planetarium room. You can also spend the night at Anian the astrologer To sleep under the stars in a transparent dome and take part in the evening sky watch. You can also visit Jolimont Observatory in Toulouse Attending conferences and visits

Events not to be missed

The space city in Toulouse It organizes a number of activities throughout the summer to interest young and old in the wonderful world of astronomy. From Tuesday 12 July, you will be able to attend a live caption of the first images of James Webb and better understand the challenge of this new scientific advance. On Friday 5 August you can participate in Starry Night until midnight.

Finally for more than 30 years The Astronomy Festival In Gers it takes place from 5 to 12 August. You will again be able to learn more about the universe through a large number of conferences, activities and observations of the sky with scientists.