This website was primarily created to share my passion for astronomy with you. It was initially set up to share the photos I’ve been able to take since I caught the “astro bug.” But now, it covers more areas: visual observation and astrophotography, some technical insights, my construction projects, and a few files and activity reports.

I am a member of the Andromede77 association, based in Écuelles, Seine-et-Marne: http://www.andromede77.com

I hope you enjoy my “pieces of the sky.”

Here are some essential links that every French-speaking amateur astronomer should know:

About Me

My name is Jean Marie. I recently turned fifty. I’ve had the “astro bug” since I was a child, but for a long time, I only fed it through books—until the World Wide Web came along and revolutionized how we share knowledge about astronomy.

Like many others, I bought a small, affordable 114mm telescope in the 1990s. It allowed me to dabble a bit in planetary observation (ah, Saturn’s “ears”!), but it was disappointing for deep-sky objects. After years of hesitation—thinking “I don’t have time,” “it’s too expensive,” or “it’s too complicated”—I finally took the plunge in early 2009, especially into astrophotography, which had always intrigued me but for which I wanted to fully commit.

Since 2013, however, I’ve seriously taken up visual observation, which has regained an important place in my practice and inspired me to get back into my workshop—something I hadn’t done much in recent years. I’ve also developed a passion for the history of astronomy. Thanks to my scientific background, I’m particularly interested in astrophysics and cosmology. Fortunately, astronomy is a vast enough field to embrace many disciplines.

I am a regular participant in the Rencontres Astronomiques de Printemps (RAP), an annual event held during Ascension weekend in the charming village of Craponne-sur-Arzon in the Auvergne region.

Originally from the Paris region, specifically Fontainebleau, I, like many others, had to “move to Paris” for work. This meant living in an apartment for 12 years before I could escape the Île-de-France region in 2013 and move to the Orléans area. This allowed me to access observation sites with less light pollution and to enjoy living in a house again, complete with a garage-turned-workshop and a garden where I can build and test my creations. Since 2015, I’ve also had a home in the Creuse region, giving me a true astronomical retreat.

Then, between 2018 and 2023, together with Christophe—a friend I met at the local astronomy club—we ventured into remote astronomy. We set up a telescope hosted in Spain at the E-Eye site. It was a very enriching experience that taught me a lot about the technical side, though we eventually had to end it due to time constraints on both our parts.

Finally, in 2025, I started building a permanent observatory in the Creuse region. It will be primarily dedicated to astrophotography and remote use, allowing me to reconnect more easily with this fascinating yet demanding discipline.

Although my job doesn’t allow me to dedicate as much time as I’d like to astronomy, I consider myself lucky to be able to pursue such a passion. Every new outing is a new discovery, a new experience, and a new sense of wonder.

To anyone hesitating to dive into amateur astronomy, I’d say: as long as you have time and good eyes, and before light pollution hides the wonders of the sky from us, don’t miss the chance to enjoy them.