France is dedicating three nights this August to the sky, stars and planets. From August 7 to 9, the 36th edition of “Nuits des Étoiles,” or “Night of the Stars,” is taking place, one of the country’s largest popular astronomy events.
According to Le Monde, this year around 500 activities have been organized across France, where citizens can observe stars, planets, constellations, nebulae and the Perseid meteor shower. The activities are free and open to the public.
This year's edition focuses on the Sun and serves as a kind of preparation for the solar eclipse on August 12. In France, the eclipse will be partial, but in some areas, such as Biarritz in the southwest of the country, the Moon is expected to cover up to 99.4% of the Sun.
For three evenings, amateur astronomers and volunteers will help the public identify celestial objects. Some of them, such as Venus, Saturn, Mars or the Summer Triangle, can be seen with the naked eye, while for more distant objects, such as the Andromeda galaxy, binoculars or telescopes can be used.
“Starry Night” was created in 1991, modeled after the “Fête de la Musique,” the famous French music festival. The goal is to take astronomy out of laboratories and observatories and turn it into an experience open to everyone.
According to organizers, interest in the sky has also increased due to the expected eclipse on August 12, which will be total in some areas of Europe, including Iceland, Greenland and northern Spain.
But the event also comes with a reminder of the problem of light pollution. The less artificial light there is, the better the sky is visible. In some areas, reducing public lighting has helped improve stargazing, although low-orbiting satellites are becoming a new concern for astronomers and sky photographers.
For the French, these three nights are a simple invitation to lift their heads. In a summer filled with heat, political news and international tensions, France is offering its citizens a rare luxury: seeing the sky for free.
