2023-05-06 07:34:00
If there is a show accessible to all, it is this one. All you have to do is scan the sky, most often between dusk and dawn, and it appears, in the form of a thin crescent, a quarter or even a perfect circle: the Moon. Object of reverie for the solitary walker, the only satellite of the Earth lends itself readily to the head-to-head. But five years ago, the Astronomical Society of France (SAF) decreed that we might share it, each year, at the beginning of summer, for a few evenings.
The principle is simple: the owners of telescopes take these observation instruments out into the street and offer passers-by to take a look through the eyepiece, in order to appreciate all the reliefs of the lunar surface.
This year, the 4th edition ofOn the Moon Again will take place on June 23, 24 and 25. “It will be around the first quarter, when the Moon appears just following sunset”, specifies Sylvain Bouley, planetologist and president of the SAF. The curious will be able to observe the games of shadow and light that highlight the craters during this phase.
“People don’t expect to be able to observe the Moon so well in the middle of the city”
“I’ve always wanted to introduce astronomy to as many people as possible and looked for ways to reach a new audience,” says Sylvain Bouley, who initiated the project.
“It’s not always easy to find an astronomy club. It’s not everywhere. There, it is not the people who come to the telescope but the telescope which comes to them”, summarizes Arnaud Leroy, member of the SAF and president of the Uranoscope of Île-de-France, an observatory located in Gretz- Armainvilliers (Seine-et-Marne).
Before the meeting continued, the two enthusiasts had already placed a telescope on the banks of the Seine, arousing the curiosity of onlookers. “In most cases, people don’t expect to see so many details with a telescope or to be able to observe the Moon so well in the middle of a city,” emphasizes Sylvain Bouley. The first edition, in 2019, coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first step on the Moon. It’s a success: 1,400 events in 70 countries, SAF having many contacts abroad.
“A moment of emotion”
After an “eclipse” in 2020 linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event has revived over the past two years. “It’s an emotional moment. This gives people the opportunity to talk to people regarding the solar system, light pollution, the phases of the lunar cycle, fake news too, since some believe that the Americans have not been on the Moon…” enumerates Sylvain Bouley.
“Some people bring back a small souvenir, taking a picture of what they observe through the telescope with their smartphone. As in town there can be many foreign tourists, the clichés are shared on the other side of the world! notes Arnaud Leroy.
Each time, this astronomer encourages members of his club to take out their telescopes in their village. As the event takes place in the summer and three evenings in a row, the organizers can vary the venues and the pleasures and bet on mild weather. From now on, telescope owners are invited to register their observation site on theOn the Moon Again.
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