Every year, the month of August is particularly conducive to observing what is happening above our heads. It is for this reason that during the month the event takes place “Starry Night”, which takes place every year during the peak of the Perseids, a shower of shooting stars. From Friday August 11 to Monday August 13, 2023, the French will be able to raise the tip of their noses to participate in the 33rd edition of this very special and observe “dozens, even a few hundred shooting stars every hour”explained Clément Busty, member of the French Association of Astronomy and co-organizer of the Nuits des étoiles for journalists from France Blue, Wednesday, August 9. Throughout the weekend, clubs of volunteer enthusiasts will try to share their passion throughout France. Clément Busty notably recalled that it was possible to take advantage of these starry nights “without an instrument, with the naked eye. You just need to have a little patience and observe the sky without light pollution”. A deck chair installed in your garden will therefore do the trick to avoid twisting your neck by dint of raising your head and a little wool is also recommended to ward off the cool night.
What are the conditions for better observing the Perseids?
From Friday August 11 to Monday August 13, 2023, viewing conditions will be optimal. Indeed, the new moon is expected Thursday, August 17, so it will be very little visible until that date and will not interfere with stargazing. However, do not forget that what could spoil this beautiful spectacle is the light. Our colleagues from France Blue therefore advised to find themselves a clear corner, without trees but also without exterior lighting. The best observation condition is when the eye has become accustomed to darkness in order to perceive the stars distinctly, it generally takes a good twenty minutes for the pupil to dilate and get used to seeing in the dark. For its part, the French Astronomical Association has thought of everything! On his website, the astronomers have put two programs online to take advantage of an enriching vigil. They therefore learned that until Thursday, August 24, from 10 p.m., the first stars will be visible. From midnight, Jupiter and its satellites will eventually reveal themselves. And all night long, the rain of shooting stars, called the Perseids, will never cease to amaze the lucky ones who will have the opportunity to see them.