Barcelonnette Mercantour Observatory
The Barcelonnette Mercantour Observatory: head in the stars from the Ubaye Valley
A few kilometres from Pra Loup, the Barcelonnette Mercantour Observatory invites you to look up at one of the most beautiful night skies in the Southern Alps. Located in the heart of the Ubaye Valley, a territory known for the purity of its sky and low light pollution, this site has become a reference for astronomical observation in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
Born from a partnership between the municipality of Barcelonnette and the Mercantour National Park, the observatory is much more than a place of observation: it is a space dedicated to discovery, scientific education and the preservation of the night. Whether you are passionate about astronomy, curious about passing through or on holiday in Pra Loup with your family, it is a unique experience to live during your stay in the Ubaye.
The site is home to a remarkable historical instrument: the famous Père Josset telescope, a true witness to the local scientific heritage. Alongside it, modern equipment now makes it possible to broadcast the observations live in a specially equipped educational building. Thanks to its immersive planetarium, young and old alike can discover the constellations, planets, the Milky Way and the mysteries of the Universe in ideal conditions.
From Pra Loup, the Barcelonnette Mercantour Observatory is a great idea for an evening outing or a day of discovery in the valley. An invitation to slow down, contemplate and rediscover the magic of the starry sky of the Alps.
Planetarium
Father Josset’s telescope
Père Josset’s large telescope: a unique astronomical instrument in the world
The centrepiece of the Barcelonnette Mercantour Observatory, the Père Josset telescope is an instrument as rare as it is fascinating. Its monumental look, almost out of a Jules Verne novel, makes it an unmissable curiosity in itself.
Created in 1929 for an English billionaire, this astronomical telescope has travelled through the ages before arriving in the Ubaye Valley. Passed down from enthusiast to enthusiast since 1936, it bears witness to a true human history around astronomy, the sharing of knowledge and the contemplation of the sky.
Carefully restored, it is now showcased in the observatory, in a cabinet of curiosities that gives it all its grandeur. More than just a scientific instrument, it has become a unique heritage object, at the crossroads of science, history and wonder.
Thanks to this century-old telescope, visitors can observe, depending on the conditions and seasons:
- the spectacular reliefs of the Moon,
- the famous rings of Saturn,
- the visible planets at different times of the year,
- colored double stars,
- several deep-sky objects.
A rare experience, which allows you to look at the Universe through an instrument steeped in history, from one of the most beautiful night skies in the Southern Alps.
Activities and experiences to be enjoyed at the Barcelonnette Observatory
In an exceptional setting in the heart of the Mercantour National Park and the International Dark Sky Reserve, the Barcelonnette observatory offers you many exceptional experiences:
- Guided observation of the sun: a discovery of our star as you have never seen it before (sunspots, solar prominences, moving surface…).
- Discovery evening: an evening of introduction to astronomy, during which the mediators accompany you step by step in reading the night sky.
- Vigil at the telescope of Father Josset: an invitation to go back in time and observe the stars and planets like the astronomers of yesteryear with a hundred-year-old instrument.
- Historical visit “The men of the stars”: a spotlight on the great figures and instruments that have marked the history of astronomy.
- Astronomy training: accessible, progressive and immersive courses, open to all sky enthusiasts, beginners as well as enlightened amateurs, which are based on the reference framework of the French Astronomy Association (A.F.A.), recognized at the national level.
The planetarium: a 360° immersion
Explore the sky and the universe from the comfort of a 4K planetarium.
This projection room is designed to faithfully reproduce the sky.
You will discover:
- The Race of the Stars
- The Movement of the Planets
- The celestial seasons and the great objects of the universe
Under the vault of the observatory’s planetarium, the sky becomes legible, understandable and spectacular.
From nebulae to stars, from distant galaxies to exoplanets, let yourself be told the history of the universe by passionate mediators who will teach you how to recognize the constellations, discover how to find your way in the sky and understand the great astronomical phenomena.
