Every year, the night of the shooting stars graces the mid-summer skies. This Saturday and Sunday you can expect to see 100 meteors per hour at the prolific shower’s peak.
“The phenomenon occurs because the Earth passes through a cloud of cometary dust. It is like a grain of sand that ignites and leaves a white trail behind it. Entering our atmosphere these tiny cosmic particles cause a ‘shooting stars’ phenomenon known as ‘Perseids, “says Francesco Lo Bue, president of the Astronomy Circle of UMONS.
If you haven’t decided yet how to spend the weekend, look no further than The Night of the Stars, a festival dedicated entirely to star-gazing.
Organized by Pass and the Astronomy Circle of UMONS, spend two days getting to know the heavens better, with activities for the all family. The object may be astronomic but entry is free, allowing access to the event and the site.
Taking place across France and Belgium in mid-summer for over 20 years now, The Night of the Stars has become a popular festival, drawing more than 100,000 curious star-gazers. This year, the theme is ‘The distances in the Universe’.
Watch spectacular activity on the sun, discover a collection of meteorites and explore astronomy applications for PC and Smartphone along with enthusiasts from the Astronomy Circle of UMONS. If you have your own observation instruments bring them along and the astronomy circle will be happy to pass on their tips.
Look up, the sky is yours!
Specifically designed for Palais des Images by Francesco Lo Bue and Pierre Meurisse, with simultaneous projections on the big screens in the Pass auditorium, you can plunge into the magical world of the lives of nebulae and galaxies.
Later on, find out more about the meteorite with a diameter of 15-17 meters and an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 tonne mass that struck the Urals earlier this year.
Other activities include hearing stories told beneath the planetarium, making your first rocket with a plastic bottle and bicycle pump and testing out the astronaut’s gyro swing.
Registration is on arrival, and you are recommended to get there early.
Saturday, August 10h00 from 22h00. Sunday, August 11, 10h00 to 18h00
Pass – Science Adventure Park
3 rue de Mons
7080 Frameries
Photos: Meteor shower, Brocken Inaglory.
Shooting star, Navicore
