Since it’s summer – the season of exploration, of long hikes in the mountains, of trips to the Greek islands, of getting lost in the city until the soles of our clogs melt – we’ve decided to turn to the final frontier: the stars.
Of course, we could just lie on the grass in a park and look up at the Perseids (our best view of this shower of shooting stars from Montreal was on the night of August 11 to 12). We could also just watch movies (more or less scary, between Alien and Gravity?) or zoom in on the photos posted by NASA, but there’s an almost childlike sense of excitement in seeing the starry sky up close in real life…
Fortunately, the Planetarium de Montréal is organizing free sky-watching evenings with explanations of astronomical phenomena and extra activities, from August 11, 2025 to April 26, 2026.
Rendez-vous telescopes
You might think that in the city you can’t see the stars – only the satellites – but if you know where to look, you can see a lot more of the sky than you think. That’s why the Planetarium is offering these free evenings to observe the stars and celestial events visible in the Montreal sky.
You’ll also be able to learn more about the sky – a new hobby that can replace or add to an obsession with astrology, perhaps?
Each Rendez-vous télescope will be themed around the celestial event to be observed that evening, with a telescope observation session and a show hosted by the Planetarium team every 30 minutes to reveal all the secrets of the stars (in English and French).
There will also be a star finder-making activity– one of the simplest and oldest instruments in the world – to help you get to know the sky and recognize its stars.
Celestial events in the coming months
The next Celestial Rendezvous to mark in our diary will be;
- August 11 and 12 – Perseids: admire a spectacular meteor shower
- October 4 – Moon: a timeless object of fascination, to be observed up close
- December 13 – Geminids: enjoy a meteor shower even more spectacular than the Perseids
- February 14 – Jupiter and Orion: a winter duo not to be missed! Watch Jupiter shine close to the majestic constellation of Orion.
- March 20 – Equinox: celebrate this moment of balance when day and night share the sky
- April 25 – Get out your telescopes: take advantage of the spring skies to learn how to master your telescope with amateur astronomers.
The Rendez-vous telescopes have a date theme, with the simple (and effective?) “your father stole the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes”, a space to lie on the grass and look at the sky at the Planetarium, and an evening of Jupiter and Orion observation on February 14…
Practical info
Where? MontréalPlanetarium , 4801 avenue Pierre-De-Coubertin
When? Doors open at 8:30 p.m., from 9 p.m. to midnight – for the program and list of scheduled evenings, click here!
How to get there? It’s free and open to all!
Happy stargazing!