Observatoire des Baronnies Provencales is located inside the Baronnies Provencales Natural Regional Park 107 miles (173 km) north of Marseilles, France. The observatory is open to the public to take advantage of the high alpine viewing, and a guest house with a pool and views of the countryside can accommodate 16. Starry night and starry weekend packages are available, along with solar observing. An EarthSky user says the site has “no light pollution, no fine dust in the atmosphere, 300+ clear nights a year.”
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.