I Walked on Mars!

My Stellar Weekend at the Mars Stars Festival!

I’m back from Mars… well, Mars in Haute Ardèche, France, where I just spent two fantastic days in excellent company. Every year, the Mars Astronomy Club (CAM) hosts its ‘Festival des Étoiles’ (Stars Festival). This year, I had the distinct honor of being invited to showcase my very modest astrophotography exhibition, “Cosmic Fauna,” and to give a talk on amateur astrophotography. More than anything, this festival was a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with fellow amateur astronomers and share some great moments.

This year’s lineup included: solar observations, film screenings, lectures (on the hidden side of the sun and its impact on global warming; massive stars as the origin of matter’s grand adventure from the Big Bang to life; and a planetary-scale chemistry lab). And a big first for me: water rocket launches (I absolutely loved it! 😉).

All in all, another fantastic experience, all thanks to this insatiable passion we call astronomy! A huge thank you to all the organizers, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s Stars Festival!