Every year, museums and scientific organizations open their doors during the Night of the Stars for astronomy enthusiasts. Whether you’re an expert or a beginner, come stargaze during these three nights from August 7 to 9, 2026, for the 36th edition of the event, which will feature a major highlight on August 12: a solar eclipse.
The 2026 theme for Night of the Stars: the Sun
This refers to the event taking place a few days after "Night of the Stars," as there will be a solar eclipse visible on the evening of August 12, 2026. The Sun will be more than 90% eclipsed by the Moon across all of France. As a reminder, the Sun is one of the stars, but the Moon is not.
This is a must-see space event: nighttime stargazing and free activities at the Air Museum.
Have you seen the Space Hall and the rockets on display? On this special night, come observe the stars through a telescope and with the naked eye on the tarmac of the Air and Space Museum: the constellations of the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, the Summer Triangle that serves as a starting point for finding other stars.
The Air and Space Museum will be open on August 8, 2026, for the Night of the Stars from 6:30 p.m. until 1 a.m.
As part of this event, the Air and Space Museum will close its doors at 1:00 a.m. on an exceptional basis. The exhibition halls will be open to the public for the activities listed above, plus the following exhibits: the B-747, the Dakota, and the two Concorde aircraft. However, the Planète Pilote area, the Planetarium, the Control Tower, and Simupilote will be closed.
Please note: You may not bring your own telescopes or personal astronomical equipment into the museum.
Join us for an astronomy observation evening on Thursday, August 6, from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in Saint-Ouen at the Atlas.
Address: Atlas Center for Scientific Culture, 10 rue Mariton, 93400 Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine
For more information, please call 01 71 86 63 40
Several sites and parks will be open so you can enjoy this starry night with guides to lead the way.
Join us starting at 9 p.m. for a stargazing evening organized by the AFA. The program includes events in various city parks: Montsouris, Eole, and Louise Michel
Representatives from the French Astronomy Association will be on hand during these nights to help you learn about the Milky Way and lend you binoculars and telescopes. All summer long, "Paris under the Stars" offers stargazing sessions in Parisian parks.
The 2026 Night of the Stars at the Cité des Sciences will focus on the eclipse taking place on August 12, 2026, between 9:45 p.m. and midnight?and it?s free!
Meet at the Prairie du Cercle Nord, behind the Géode.
Activities begin at 2 p.m. at the Cité des Sciences on August 12, 2026, for those who cannot attend in the evening.
An Afternoon in the Sun from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.:
Sun observation with specialized instruments, an ongoing sundial workshop, and a ?Draw Your Sun? workshop (to be done independently).
Mini-lectures (15 minutes each): at 3:00 p.m.?The Sun in All Its Forms; at 4:00 p.m.?The Sun and Pop Culture; and at 5:00 p.m.?The Sun in All Its Forms
Eclipse observation from 7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
This year, the Sun and the Moon will meet on Wednesday, August 12. The Moon will pass in front of the Sun, resulting in a partial eclipse covering more than 90% of the Sun’s disk in Paris! Don’t miss it?the next one won’t be until 2081.
Because the Sun will be low in the sky at the time of the event, there will be a live video broadcast and a radio broadcast of the partial eclipse from Paris, plus a broadcast of the total eclipse visible in Spain. Full program at the Cité des Sciences
On the topic of astronomy: Les Rencontres du Ciel - an astronomy fair held every two years at the Cité des Sciences in Paris in even-numbered years.
Dernière mise à jour le
tel : 01 49 92 70 62 
Getting there
Gare du Bourget puis bus 152
Gratuit 
