The idea is to make the sky become the star of the night

Hubert Reeves

Simply lying in fields, looking up at the sky, or comfortably seated in one of the various observation sites opened to the public for this very special occasion, the 11th "Star Night" promises to be a fantastic spectacle.

The event, which began with a special TV broadcast, has grown hugely in the last few years. Last year's "Nuit des Etoiles", attracted over 100,000 people at the 300 participating sites.

This year, 12 August is the best night to observe shooting stars

This year, the Star Night theme is: "From Earth to Space: the Big Journey".

On Thursday, at 2100 GMT, from the Centre of Science and Industry in Paris, France-2 TV took viewers live for an extraordinary virtual space trip aboard an imaginary vessel.

Thanks to Nasa pictures, the "passengers" got to know not only space as it has been explored so far, but also our planet as it can been seen from there.

"The idea is to make the sky become the star of the night," said astrophysicist Hubert Reeves, who was the main guest on the programme.

... up to 120 per hour might be visible

For those who prefer to watch the event outdoors, 349 observation sites across France welcome them throughout the weekend with experts' explanations and equipment at their disposal.

Children have also prepared for this special night and told the story of the stars with their own words: their research, essays and drawings are being displayed in 88 workshops.

Perseid stars top the bill

Yet, the shooting stars show remains open to anybody. All you have to do is raise your eyes towards the heavens and look at the Perseid meteors, the little angels of this astronomic spectacle.

Meteors are solar system material - dust, grains, pebbles, rocks, etc. - that enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up. Since, visually, they look like stars streaking across the sky, they are commonly called "shooting stars".

Hundreds of observation points have been set up

Every year in August Perseid meteor showers reach their peak with 50 to 150 shooting stars per hour.

Make a wish for each and you could be happy for the rest of your life.

The best time to see them is at least two hours after sunset and before the moon rises.

However, two conditions must be met: a cloudless sky and an observation point far from any light source.

As for luminosity, the increase in night lighting, especially in urban areas, and air pollution caused by smokes, aerosols and other gas emissions prevent a major part of the population from seeing the sky.

Weather permitting

The "Nuit des Etoiles" has become a huge event

In an attempt to establish a national map of the sky quality, several French astronomy institutes have asked astronomers - experts and amateurs - to identify with the naked eye the Summer Triangle, which consists of the Vega (eagle), Deneb (tail of the hen) and Altair (flying one), and pick out the star with the weakest glow.

This should enable them to determine which areas in France are the most suitable for observing the sky.

Today, the most sophisticated technology is available to enthusiasts but prehistoric paintings show that stars have been fascinating humans since the beginning of time.

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