Meteors / France, Hautes-Pyrénées
Meteors: Col du Tourmalet, Pic du Midi
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Where to stand
Park on the pass when the road is open and walk away from the cars onto the slope. The air here is very clear, but the La Mongie ski resort can glow to the east. A night on the Pic du Midi summit needs a special ticketed package.
Horizon
A pass at 2,115 m; mountains hide part of the low sky, but it is very dark overhead
Sky darkness (Bortle scale): 2
Rules
The road over the pass is closed in winter, usually from autumn to late spring, so check its status before you go. Mountain nights are cold even in summer, and the weather changes fast.
About the spot
The Pic du Midi Dark Sky Reserve in the Pyrenees gained DarkSky International status in 2013. An observatory stands on the summit of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, reached by cable car from La Mongie. The Col du Tourmalet lies at 2,115 m, at the foot of the peak.
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