Astronomy Stay:
Provence Verdon
France Provence
The dates for 2024 :
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Séjour "Provence Verdon" from Saturday, October 26, 2024 to Saturday, November 02, 2024
Stay limited to a maximum of 20 trainees.
This stay is open for registration - 12 places remaining
Astro Evasion offers you an astronomy stay in the heart of Provence. You will enjoy the Verdon Gorge, near the Haute Provence Observatory, to benefit from the quality of the sky due to the low light pollution in this preserved region and the stable air, which allows for very beautiful images.
During the day, outside of observations and visits, you can also visit within a 25km radius some wonders of Provence. The Verdon Gorge with its emerald green waters flowing into the Sainte-Croix Lake. The Valensole Plateau, where you can admire the vast lavender fields (unfortunately not colorful at this time of year) and all the typical small villages like Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Les Salles sur Verdon, Bauduen, Rougon, La Palud sur Verdon.
You can also enjoy a discovery of the Verdon Gorge with an adventure course accessible to all, offered by Sylvain and Marine from La Corditelle. They specialize in nature climbing activities around the Sainte Croix Lake.
France currently has three major professional observatories, such as the Paris Meudon Observatory, the Pic du Midi Observatory in the Pyrenees, and the Haute Provence Observatory. It was at this latter observatory that Didier Queloz and Michel Mayor discovered the first exoplanet in 1995. Depending on availability, we will offer a visit to the observatory. We will have access to its 1.93m telescope, weighing 70 tons, installed in 1957
under a 20-meter diameter dome. It was the largest telescope in Europe for a long time.
Olivier Labrevoir will offer us a visit to the dome and the spectrographs used for the discovery of exoplanets.
During this stay, you can enjoy high-quality daytime solar observations safely with adapted equipment allowing the observation of the different "layers"; of our star.
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Observation of the photosphere :
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The Solarscope allows projecting the image of the Sun on a screen and observing thedifferent active zones on its disk..
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A Herschell prism adapted to a 150mm apochromatic refractor (Skywatcher ESPRIT) will allow visualizing the spots and granulation.
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Observation of the chromosphere :
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A 130mm LUNT refractor with double filtration allows observing the chromosphere with its prominences. This is one of the largest H-alpha refractors on the market..
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Observation of the lower corona :
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An introduction to solar spectroscopy will also be offered using a Sol'Ex to study the Sun under different wavelengths.
It will also be possible to take photographs of these different observations, and you can retrieve the images on your USB key.
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At night, you can observe the stars with various instruments. A 280mm Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (CELESTRON C11), 150mm apochromatic refractorses (SKYWATCHER ESPRIT) and 130mm (LUNT Solar System) sur on Losmandy G11 Gemini equatorial mounts for imaging. A small 60mm refractor (Taka FS60CB) for wide-field star imaging. Digital cameras (APN CANON EOS 5D) with or without filters and cameras for image acquisition.
For accommodation, it is possible to find accommodations via the internet, but be careful not to be too far from the village of Les Salles sur Verdon where the activities will take place.
We recommend our partner for this stay: L’Hôtel*** l'Ermitage aux Salles sur Verdon (83630). Site internet https://www.hotel-ermitage.com/lermitage/
L'hôtel*** l'Ermitage is located 500m from the beaches of Sainte Croix Lake and very close to our observation sites (a vehicle is necessary). A small meeting room will also be available for theoretical activities if the weather is not favorable. It offers rooms for 2, 3, and 4 people depending on demand.
For information, the accommodation cost for the stay is €665 per person in a double room and €973 for a single room. These rates include the room, breakfast, dinner with starter, main course, dessert, the beverage package, and access to the spa during the stay.
For astronomy part : (excluding accommodation and visits), the participation fee is:
Rates for the stay (7 days) Adults €295 - Companion €165 - Child (accompanied) €165 - Family €620
This can be paid via the secure online store. You can also pay in several installments by check by contacting us in advance at 06 32 66 91 15 or by email at info@astroevasion.com
For accommodation part (independant of Astro Evasion) : Astro Evasion has pre-booked 10 rooms for this stay. However, you must validate your reservation with Astro Evasion by sending a deposit check of €250 (not cashed), and the reservation will be finalized one month before the start of the stay.
The meeting is scheduled for Saturday at 5:00 pm at hôtel*** l'Ermitage.
A little feedback from the trainees ...
Roger, Parempuire
« Another stay that strengthens our friendship... Certainly, I return "empty-handed"; once again, but I leave with a lot of human warmth in mind"
May 13, 2024
Solen, Paris
« Thank you for this stay full of human encounters. We were like "roosters in paste"; at the hotel. Definitely an experience to repeat"
May 14, 2024
Michel, Paris
« A big thank you for these 4 days spent together. The group and the atmosphere were really nice, and the organizers definitely irreplaceable. Looking forward to seeing you at future workshops"
May 15, 2024
Un petit panorama magnifique du village des Salles sur Verdon où se déroule le séjour ...