Lecture by astrophysicist Emeric Falize: "Observing the solar eclipse and experiencing the night of the stars"

This will be followed by a discussion about his book "Buffon or the Age of the Earth - Birth of Laboratory Astrophysics" and a reading of a text by Buffon by Daniel Pennac. Reservations recommended. Light refreshments available (by reservation).

The coming days will be rich in astronomical phenomena: on August 12th, we will experience a solar eclipse, and in the following days, our nights will be filled with a meteor shower. Emeric Falize will remind us of the origin of these exceptional astronomical phenomena and share the major discoveries made in recent years in astrophysics that are revolutionizing our understanding of the Universe. He will present his research, in which he recreates, in miniature, the most extreme phenomena of the Universe using laboratory experiments. He will explain how his research led him to follow in the footsteps of Buffon, the 18th-century scientist, who is the subject of his book published in November 2025 by Champion Essais.

Emeric Falize, an astrophysicist and research director at the CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), specializes in high-energy-density astrophysics and laboratory astrophysics. He seeks to reproduce miniature versions of the most extreme phenomena in the Universe (star formation, supernovae, etc.) in the laboratory. In particular, he initiated the first experiment designed to reproduce extreme phenomena on the surface of white dwarfs using high-power lasers.

The 3 Nights of the Stars 2026: from August 11 to 13, 2026:
A collaboration between the Les Espelines bookstore and the VESPA association (Vassieux and its heritage)
Wednesday, August 12: Solar eclipse - Eclipse observation hike explained by Gérard Cavalli, astrophysicist
Thursday, August 13: Night of the Stars - La Mure Mills site, Vassieux