Nuit des Étoiles at the summit of Puy de Dôme

Nuit des Étoiles at Puy de Dôme: The sky as you've never seen it

The summit of Puy de Dôme, a Grand Site de France and UNESCO World Heritage site within the Chaîne des Puys, offers an exceptional setting for astronomical observation. At an altitude of 1,465 meters, far from the light pollution of cities, the night sky reveals itself in all its splendor.

An event as part of the national Nuits des Étoiles

The Nuit des Étoiles at the summit of Puy de Dôme is part of the national Nuits des Étoiles operation, coordinated by the French Astronomy Association (AFA). This annual event, usually held on the first weekend of August, invites the general public to look up at the sky and discover the wonders of the universe.

Guided observations by enthusiasts

In the evening, members of local astronomy clubs set up their telescopes at the summit of Puy de Dôme and guide the public in observing the sky. Participants can thus contemplate:

• The Milky Way in all its splendor, visible to the naked eye from the summit
• The planets of the solar system, with their details revealed by telescopes
• Nebulae and star clusters, true jewels of the deep sky
• The summer constellations, identified and commented on by the facilitators

An exceptional site for astronomy

Puy de Dôme is not just a major tourist site: it also houses the Observatoire de Physique du Globe de Clermont-Ferrand (OPGC), a scientific research institution that has been studying the atmosphere, volcanism, and climate since the early 20th century. The presence of this observatory at the summit testifies to the exceptional quality of the site for scientific observations.

Important information

The event takes place in the evening, generally from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., at the meeting point located in front of the Espace Grand Site de France at the summit of Puy de Dôme. Access to the summit is via the Panoramique des Dômes, the rack railway. The event is free but booking is mandatory, as places are limited.