French astronaut Sophie Adenot made history this month as the first French woman to perform a spacewalk. Back on Earth, space enthusiasts across France are finding their own ways to reach for the stars. In a five-part series this week, RFI meets some of them. First up is astrophotographer Aude Nowak, who climbs high into the French Alps to capture stars, nebulae and the Milky Way.
Nowak has been an astrophotographer for eight years. She began by photographing property before gradually swapping apartments for mountains and stars. RFI joined Nowak in Chamonix, between Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi, as she prepared to spend another night under the stars. “Bring good shoes and warm clothes,” Nowak had told RFI several days earlier. Getting the pictures she wants means travelling far and, above all, climbing high. The destination for this trip was Brévent, an imposing rocky summit 2,500 metres above sea level. Reaching it required two cable-car rides followed by a good hour's walk along a winding, rocky and sometimes slippery route. Patches of snow were still lingering in June, while a marmot and three ibex appeared untroubled by the group's presence. French astronaut Adenot takes giant leap with historic spacewalk Hunting light in darkness Nowak had scouted the location the day before and knew exactly where she wanted to pitch her tent. It faced Mont Blanc, which she calls “the king”, although its summit was still hidden in cloud. “I’m going to sleep before and after taking the pictures,” she said. At 11pm, after three hours of sleep, her alarm sounded as the night sky came into view. The sky had cleared completely, revealing the Great Bear constellation as well as Venus and Jupiter to the naked eye.
