4 ways to contemplate the sky

Hailed in light, Apollo, the god of the sun, holds in his hand the cosmos which contains in his heart the earth. This sublime fresco of the 1st century, survivor of Pompeii, opens the exhibition “Read the sky”, at Mucem, in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), which retraces the gaze of the peoples of the Mediterranean on the starry vault, from antiquity to the present day.

“Until the end of the Middle Ages, the firmament is above all represented as a divine creation, in polytheistic and monotheistic religions”, underlines one of the commissioners, Enguerrand Lascols.

This story between men and azure has written itself with several hands, between the banks of the great blue. “From the 2nd millennium BC. AD, the Mesopotamians study the stars. In the 2nd century AD, the geographer Ptolemy synthesized Greek knowledge in his treaty Almageste, which lists 1,022 stars. In the Middle Ages, the Arab-Muslim world is continuing, by translating these ancient texts, ”summarizes Enguerrand Lasols.

This is evidenced by a wonderful celestial globe of Muslim Spain of the 11th century which takes up the constellations of Ptolemy, by adapting them: in place of the head of Medusa, the Perseus hero brandished that of a demon of the Arab tradition.

Modern Europe will be the heiress of these advances. “In the 16th century, the Copernican revolution replaced the sun at the center of the universe. However, in his famous AstronomerVermeer portrayed a scientist from the 17th century who still refers to a manual recalling ancient discoveries, ”explains Enguerrand Lascols.

From calendar to astrology

Over the centuries, the sky has enabled Mediterranean civilizations to structure themselves. According to the other exhibition commissioner Juliette Bessette, “it serves them as a spatiotemporal benchmark and support for their stories”. Thus, from this Egyptian sandstone calendar of the 15th century BC. AD, who indicates to the peasants the return of the star Sirius at the beginning of the summer and the advent of the agricultural season.

Beyond these practical observations, everyone hopes to find responses in the future in the ether. Hence the popularity of astrology, manifests in the engravings of Épinal glorifying Nostradamus for its Prophecies (written in 1555) or, nowadays, in astro tickets, scratch game aimed at “taking down the moon”.

Today, even though telescopes discern galaxies born 13 billion years ago, contemplation becomes difficult. “While kissing up to 3,000 stars with the naked eye in the 20th century, there are only fifty only in Marseille or Algiers,” deplores Enguerrand Lasols. The fault of the light pollution of cities but also artificial satellites, here highlighted in Nocturnal, A series of drawings by Camille Pradon. In response, seven international starry reserves have been created

(read below) In France. A track to save these sparks of joy, so well embodied by the little prince of Saint-Exupéry: “When you look at the sky, at night, since I will live in one of them, since I will laugh in one of them, then it will be for you as if all the stars laughed. »»

Night of the XXL stars in Toulouse

“The flagship animation, it will be a large fleet of telescopes in the gardens made available to young and old to observe the moon, planets and shooting stars. But we can also interact with astronomers and watch the film Deep Sky On the adventure of the James Webb space telescope in our Imax room, ”explains Christophe Chaffardon, director of the Cité de l’Espace, in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne).

Friday August 1, 2025, from 8 p.m. to midnight, it will open its doors, free to celebrate the Night of the Stars. “The planetarium and the Stellarium will offer sessions every 45 minutes,” continues the director. There will be readings of tales, workshops for manufacturing space badge, and even demonstrations of Laser sabers! If you go through the Pink City this summer, the cultural and scientific center will be open for nights on Wednesdays and Thursdays, until August 21, 2025.

A Star Night also at Le Bourget

During the night of August 2 to 3, 2025, between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m., the Bourget Air and Space Museum (Seine-Saint-Denis) opens its doors. We can take advantage of the advice of mediators to observe the moon in the telescope, participate in a “a little spatial” karaoke, or attend the Tarmac with a traveling show mixing the tale with the street arts. Coloring and giant goose play, media library, quiz … Children are welcome!

Many applications make it possible to know the names of the stars and to spot the constellations by simply pointing your phone to the sky. The pilgrim has tested them and advises you two, free and in French. For Android and iOS, to download in Googleplay or AppStore.

• Stellarium. A reference. For each star, a host of scientific and cultural information. Courses, designed as guided tours, make it possible to identify one constellation after the other. We would spend white nights there!
• Star Walk 2. Elegant and easy to handle. A calendar details for each day the stars and planets that we will be able to contemplate in the sky and at what time. Disadvantage: many untimely advertisements.