The "département" of the Alpes de Haute-Provence is in an exceptional situation in Europe. It has 300 days of sunshine per year, unequalled air clarity, and a virtually complete absence of interference from urban lighting.
This is why it is particularly favoured by astronomers. In the 17th century, the Fleming Wendelin installed his telescope on the summit of Lure Mountain, and Gassendi used to observe the sky above Digne.
In the 1930s the government decided to set up a major observatory in Haute-Provence. Urban observatories were already suffering from interference from city lighting. In 1943 the first telescope was installed on Aurifeuille plateau, in the middle of the Forcalquier area. The Saint-Michel observatory run by the C.N.R.S. was set up. It has been enlarged over the years, and is still a unique facility in the Northern hemisphere when it comes to high resolution telescopic observation. Today, 13 domes are located amongst the oak trees. The most powerful telescope has a mirror with a diameter of 1.93 m. Every year, astronomers in Haute-Provence discover new clues to the history of the universe.
A few hundred metres from the Observatory, on the Moulin à Vent plateau, the Astronomy Centre of Saint-Michel l'Observatoire welcomes school groups and amateur astronomers.
A siderostat with a professional standard telescope and a multi-media area reveal the secrets of the heavens. The special evenings devoted to observation by telescope under the starry sky are even more exciting.

Centre of Astronomy
Plateau du moulin à vent,  04870 SAINT-MICHEL L'OBSERVATOIRE
Tel : 04 92 76 69 69
Web : www.astrosurf.com/centre.astro E-mail : centre.astro@wanadoo.fr