A Night Under the Stars at Pic du Midi

My Epic Night at Pic du Midi Observatory

What a weekend! I had the incredible chance to spend a night at the summit of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre! Sébastien Vauclair from La Clef des Étoiles in Toulouse organizes this epic event every year. Around fifty amateur astronomers had the unique opportunity to bring their gear up to the Pic and spend the night. The sheer joy of watching the last tourists depart at 5 PM, leaving us to soak in this legendary hub of French astronomy, was truly something else!

Beyond exploring the main installations (like the coronagraph, the T60, and the impressive 1-meter telescope), I was particularly captivated by the CLIMSO solar observation project. This incredible initiative is driven by a dedicated team of amateur observers, known as the OAs or “Associated Observers”!

After getting our telescopes all set up, we enjoyed a delightful apéritif on the terrace, followed by a fantastic buffet dinner at the Pic’s restaurant. Then, it was time for the main event: watching the sunset, framed perfectly by the 2-meter dome. What a spectacle! Some lucky folks even managed to spot the elusive green flash – I didn’t, but hey, that just gives me another excellent reason to go back (and I definitely plan to!).

Once the sun finally dipped below the horizon, we kicked off our observations under a truly stable, transparent, and utterly light-pollution-free sky. I had the chance to peer through the eyepieces of several impressive large-diameter instruments, most notably a superb 400mm Dobsonian. Through that beast, M13 looked so close you could almost touch it! And the Veil Nebula? Absolutely breathtaking!

Another absolute highlight of the night was the slender crescent moon, nestled right next to Orion, just before sunrise. The view was truly striking, and made even better when Sébastien, ever the thoughtful host, kindly came around with a tray of fresh croissants for breakfast! It was also a stark reminder of the light pollution from the cities below – even Toulouse, a good 200km away, contributes significantly.

And finally, a majestic sea of clouds stretching out below us…