Astronomy Clubs for Children
Since September 2022, an astronomy club has been running on the Besely campus. Online classes are taught by French and Malagasy astronomers each month during the school year, letting children at Ecoles du Monde discover the mysteries of the universe.
Sessions alternate between theory, night-time observations with the robotic telescope, and hands-on activities.
Regular sessions
Monthly online classes during the school year.
Real observations
Night sessions: Moon, planets, deep-sky objects.
Educational resources
Materials in French and Malagasy.
International exchanges
Video conferences with schools in France and Africa.
Astronomy Festival
Launched in 2023 in Mahajanga, the "Madagascar sous les etoiles" festival brings together enthusiasts and the general public for conferences, workshops, screenings and night observations.
2023 – 1st edition
Launch in Mahajanga
First edition uniting professional astronomers, amateurs and school audiences.
July 2025 – 3rd edition
Expanded to 4 cities
Extended to Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Antsiranana and Mahajanga. Children present plays with cosmologist Jean-Philippe Uzan.
The Pan-African School of Astronomy
Besely, 25 June – 1 July 2025
The first Pan-African Astronomy School at Besely brought together 11 young astronomers from 8 African countries: Benin, Tunisia, Togo, Senegal, Morocco, Madagascar, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire. This intensive week combined advanced astronomy courses with hands-on use of the OEDM robotic telescope.
Benin · Tunisia · Togo · Senegal · Morocco · Madagascar · Nigeria · Cote d'Ivoire
Programme
Technical use
Robotic telescope and software
Theory
Astronomy and astrophysics
Astrophotography
Acquisition and processing
Team projects
Joint observation sessions
Awards & Recognition
IAU Asteroid Naming – June 2022
The IAU officially named asteroid (40201) Besely in honour of the village and observatory (~5 km diameter, main belt).
Madagascar's first robotic observatory
Recognised as the first remotely accessible robotic observatory in Madagascar, inaugurating a new era of astronomy on the island.
Pan-African School 2025
Organisation and hosting of the first Pan-African astronomy school — 8 African countries, one week of intensive training at Besely.