Astronomy Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur

The Astrorama is dedicated to the observation of stars, especially around August 12, the period of the year with the highest number of shooting stars. The director of this center is the well-known astronomer Jean-Louis Heudier, winner of several awards for his scientific work of popularization. He has participated in numerous television programs. The store offers all the necessary equipment for stargazing as well as many books on the subject. Astronama is also a site which proposes several animations such as the "star show", the launching of rockets, the conferences, the planetarium, etc.

There are few amateur observatories in France that have been designed and optimized for observing and capturing astronomical images, because such a challenge is an absolute desire to master the entire parameters of infrastructure creation and management necessary for such a project, since the initial search of the best possible observation site (lack of light pollution, number of nights released per year, accessibility, altitude), until the best instruments, glasses and telescopes are put in place, through accommodation, catering, ancillary activities, training, and rates accessible but compatible with thethe financial efforts made by its initiators. In this little game, it can be said that the Provençal Baronies Observatory makes a mistake, with its first-class location benefiting from an exceptional sky and infrastructure (coughing and hardware) to dream more than an observer, even very warned! This observatory is more readily intended for observers who want to benefit from a first-class instrumentation for specific, sometimes sharp work purposes, focusing particularly on the taking of difficult objects from deep sky (nebulous and galaxies for example). But the observatory is also aimed at basic observers who want to live a few days in this magical place, as well as visiting visitors who come only for the day or the evening. Several services are offered, especially in July and August, such as the dome evenings, night and night-ends, visits and discoveries, etc. These services, especially those that integrate the accommodation, are the best level and will delight demanding tourists. With 260 nights on average released a year, the discovery of the sky on site is truly spectacular.

Created in 1983 by a small core of passionate amateurs, this Marseillaise Association of Astronomy has an enthusiastic and dynamic group around it. If the observation of the images taken by the large telescopes does not satisfy you completely, if you feel the need to look further, this light activity will allow you to get involved closest to the stars. Beautiful white nights in perspective, with competent people, never short of advice, which builds their own glasses and telescopes.

Just a stone's throw from the Verdon Regional Nature Park and the Sainte-Croix lake, this observatory has quality equipment accessible to the simple curious as well as to the experienced amateur wishing to make images of the sky in good conditions. The centerpiece of the site is a superb 620 mm diameter telescope (designed by Olivier Planchon, the owner of the site), installed under a dome and equipped as it should be for the observation and the taking of celestial pictures.

Another beautiful mountain observatory, located at 1 600 m of altitude. It is easily accessible by car (when there is no snow), to park at the station. The observatory is located on the hill just above, about a hundred meters on foot. Public observing evenings are usually scheduled two nights a month, often during the first quarter moon. In summer, these evenings can be more numerous and preceded by conferences.