Round Two at Pic du Midi: My Second CLIMSO Mission!

Chasing Winter Dreams: My Second CLIMSO Mission at Pic du Midi!

I’ve just wrapped up my second mission week at CLIMSO, up at the legendary Pic du Midi. I’d always dreamed of visiting the Pic in winter, and let me tell you, with an average of -21°C all week, that dream was more than fulfilled!

There’s just something magical about the Pic blanketed in snow. The colors shift and dance throughout the day, often making you feel like you’ve been transported to completely different latitudes. All that was missing were some penguins to complete the illusion!

I had the immense pleasure of sharing part of this week with my fellow astro-enthusiast friend, Julio, who was experiencing the Pic for the very first time!

Here’s the TBL: France’s largest telescope, boasting a 2.03m mirror… And no, Julio, you’re not that small!

…and here’s an image produced by the Narval spectro-polarimeter, right from the TBL’s control room. Big thanks to Gilles for all his insightful explanations!

We were blessed with fantastic weather all week, even though our initial ascent was delayed until Tuesday due to some intense wind and frost. As we were leaving, the snow made a comeback, almost as if to bid us farewell… Now that my CLIMSO training is complete, I’ll be able to visit regularly as an Associate Observer. See you soon, Pic — I’ll be back!