I visited a small town called Nansay in central France, 200 km south of Paris. There is a facility called “Pôle des étoiles” (meaning “star base”) where visitors can learn about space and astronomy.
When we entered Nansay, we could not use our smart phones. This is because Nansay is an “electromagnetic free zone” so that the instruments at the Nansay Radio Observatory, located next to the Pôle des étoiles, can make accurate observations. Cell phones, Wi-Fi, and other artificial radio waves are shut out, and residents in the area use wired telephones and wired networks.
At the Pôle des étoiles, we visited exhibits on astronomy and space science, a section on radio astronomy and its instruments, and a domed planetarium. This alone was interesting enough, but the highlight was a tour of the Nancay Radio Observatory.
Established in 1956, the Nancay Radio Observatory is mainly managed and operated by the Paris Observatory under the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), with the cooperation of the University of Orleans. It is one of the leading radio astronomy observatories in France.
Already visible as we approached the Pôle des étoiles, the most eye-catching feature here is the giant radio telescope. The most striking feature here is the giant radio telescope, which consists of two huge radio reflectors facing each other. It was one of the largest radio telescopes in the world at the time, and when it was completed in 1965, President Charles de Gaulle attended the ceremony, and two years later it began operations.
There is also Radioheliograph, an instrument that observes radio waves emitted from the sun and captures images of the sun’s surface and corona, LOFAR, a telescope for observing low-frequency radio waves from space, and NenuFAR, a radio telescope developed to enhance and expand LOFAR.
The Nansay Radio Observatory also participates in FRIPON, an observation network of meteors, meteorites, etc., which is mainly deployed in France. Data collected here are sent to supercomputers and data centers at research institutes and universities in France and abroad.
After the tour of the facility and feeling the grandeur of the universe, we returned to reality and stopped by Nansei’s famous sablet shop. These sablé, which were created by accident due to a blending error, are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a nice buttery flavor that is both simple and endearing. I bought a few as souvenirs on my way home.
© Source travel watch
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