L'Astronomie

Lore & Background

The magazine was established by Camille Flammarion, with the first issue dated 1882 and published on January 1, 1883. After the Société astronomique de France was founded in 1887, a second journal called the Bulletin mensuel de la Société Astronomique de France was created. The two publications existed in parallel until 1894. In the December 1894 issue, Flammarion announced in an editorial that L'Astronomie would cease to exist. From January 1895 to December 1910, only the Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France was published. Starting from 1912, the Bulletin was renamed L'Astronomie, while preserving the volume numbering of the Bulletin.

Reader's Guide

L'Astronomie holds significance as a long-running monthly astronomy magazine that has evolved alongside the Société astronomique de France. Its history reflects a period of parallel publication with the Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France, followed by a temporary cessation and eventual revival under the same name. The magazine's legacy includes its availability in both hard copy and digital formats by subscription in France and internationally, as well as sales in newspaper kiosks and magazine stands in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Morocco. Electronic versions of L'Astronomie and the Bulletin from 1882 to 1953 (except 1949) are preserved on the Bibliothèque nationale de France's Gallica website, ensuring access to historical content. The Astrophysics Data System also provides scanned articles and abstracts, extending the magazine's reach to researchers and enthusiasts.

Did You Know?

• The first issue of L'Astronomie was dated 1882 but published on January 1, 1883.
• Electronic versions of L'Astronomie from 1882 to 1953 (except 1949) are available on the Bibliothèque nationale de France's Gallica website.
• The magazine is sold in newspaper kiosks in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Morocco.

Origins and the Flammarion Era

L'Astronomie traces its roots to the vision of Camille Flammarion, who established the publication as a monthly astronomy magazine. The very first issue carried a date of 1882, yet it did not actually reach readers until January 1, 1883, a small but telling detail about the logistics of nineteenth-century print. For its early years, L'Astronomie stood as a standalone voice in French astronomical publishing. That changed when the Société astronomique de France (SAF) was formally founded in 1887. The new society launched its own journal, the Bulletin mensuel de la Société Astronomique de France, and for a brief period the two titles coexisted in parallel. Both magazines ran side by side until 1894, giving French astronomy enthusiasts two distinct monthly outlets during that transitional window. This dual-publication phase, though short-lived, shaped the institutional identity that would eventually consolidate around a single title.

Dissolution, Gap, and Rebirth

In the December 1894 issue, Camille Flammarion personally took to the editorial page to announce that L'Astronomie would cease publication. This marked the end of the original title as it had existed since 1882. For the next sixteen years, from January 1895 through December 1910, French readers looking for a society-linked astronomy journal had only the Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France to turn to. The Bulletin carried the weight of the society's scholarly communication during this extended interim. Then, in 1912, a significant editorial decision was made: the Bulletin was renamed L'Astronomie, effectively resurrecting the original name. Crucially, the volume numbering of the Bulletin was preserved rather than reset, ensuring an unbroken chain of reference for researchers and librarians. This act of continuity meant that the magazine's identity, despite the gap, remained tethered to its nineteenth-century origins, and the title Flammarion had chosen endured into the modern era.

Modern Stewardship and Editorial Leadership

Today, L'Astronomie continues as a monthly astronomy magazine under the umbrella of the Société astronomique de France. The publication is overseen by Sylvain Bouley, who serves as president of SAF and simultaneously holds the role of publication director, a dual responsibility that places the magazine's strategic direction in the hands of the society's top officer. The day-to-day editorial leadership falls to Fabrice Mottez, an astronomer who serves as editor-in-chief, bringing scientific expertise to the curation of content. This structure reflects a model in which the magazine is not a commercial enterprise but an organ of a learned society, with its leadership drawn from the astronomical community itself. The monthly cadence and the society-backed publication model give L'Astronomie a distinctive character in the French-language science press, distinguishing it from purely commercial popular-science titles. The combination of institutional backing and professional editorial oversight ensures that the magazine maintains both scholarly credibility and accessibility for its readership.

Reach, Distribution, and Digital Preservation

L'Astronomie reaches its audience through multiple channels. Subscribers in France and around the world can receive the magazine in both hard copy and digital formats, reflecting its adaptation to modern reading habits. In addition to subscriptions, physical copies are available for purchase at newspaper kiosks and magazine stands across five countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Morocco, giving the publication a tangible presence in Francophone and nearby markets. On the digital preservation front, the Bibliothèque nationale de France's Gallica platform hosts electronic versions of both L'Astronomie and the Bulletin de la Société astronomique de France spanning 1882 to 1953, with the sole exception of 1949. This makes over seven decades of the magazine's history freely accessible to researchers worldwide. Furthermore, the Astrophysics Data System provides scanned articles and abstracts, ensuring the publication's content is indexed and discoverable within the broader astronomical literature.