By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
You are listening to a new special of France Today in podcast and on Centrale Milano 1575 kHz.
A rare opportunity to observe the sky
Ladies and gentlemen, listen: next Wednesday August 12 the Azure Coast will be the protagonist of a highly anticipated astronomical event. At 20:24 in the afternoon the Moon will cross the solar disc, giving Nice and the whole Maritime Alps area a partial eclipse that will exceed 95 percent coverage. To allow citizens and tourists to experience this show safely, the City of Nice has decided to extend the opening hours of the famous Colle del Castello until 21:00, one hour more than the usual closing.
The Colle del Castello, with its imposing Bellanda Tower dominating the view over the Bay of Angels, thus becomes a true open‑air observatory. From its height, the sky opens onto a breathtaking panorama, where the Mediterranean twilight will frame the Moon’s shadow on the Sun. Local authorities invite the public to come with appropriate solar filters or certified glasses, reminding that naked‑eye observation can cause permanent eye damage.
The measure, communicated by the municipal administration, underscores the importance of respecting safety regulations, maintaining order, and avoiding the use of electric torches that could alter the visibility of the event. Access points will remain operational until 21:00, allowing those who arrive later to still find a spot on the lawn, while tourist guides will be available to provide brief explanations of the eclipse mechanisms.
For the most curious, the official City website provides an interactive map of the easiest route to reach the summit, as well as information on parking and enhanced public transport for the evening. The invitation is clear: live a unique moment where astronomy and landscape beauty merge in a memorable experience, narrated by our Radio Centrale Milano 1575 kHz staff. Do not miss the appointment, the eclipse awaits you at the Colle del Castello in Nice.
Rachel’s editorial – “Two more hours of opening, why not close at 23?”
I am now reading you my editorial of today.
What joy, the city of Nice decides to extend by one hour the opening time of the Castle Hill to let us admire the eclipse. A Herculean undertaking: an entire extra hour of light, almost as demanding as closing the park at 23:00 in the middle of summer. Should the City perhaps add a marathon of digital cookie checks before opening the gates? Because, apparently, the real challenge is to make us accept data collection while we watch the Moon wink at the Sun.
And then the official communication that reminds us, with an almost religious courtesy, to “customize our current affairs” and to “respect the consignes di sicurezza”. But where is the energy consumption to illuminate the hill until 21:00? Nobody mentions it, while the same articles devote more space to cookie policies than to the celestial event. Perhaps the real show is seeing how many clicks are needed to open the gate of a historic park.
The public is invited to bring “adequate equipment”. Special glasses are required, yes, but will we also need an authorization certificate to access a data‑tracking platform? It is clear that the priority is to turn the eclipse into a commercial revenge: more eyes on the hill, more clicks on advertising banners. A true case of marketing astronomy, where astronomical curiosity is just an excuse to sell more “personalized experiences”.
In short, two extra hours to watch the sky, and we pay with our privacy. A small sacrifice, perhaps, but above all a lily of bureaucratic arrogance: why close at sunset when we can extend the closing time for maximum view‑count profit? The hill turns into a stage, and we spectators are obliged to sign a data‑use license contract before raising our eyes to the sky.
Koan of the day
Monaco: Master, the city wanted to open the Castle Hill an hour longer for the eclipse, but imposed privacy restrictions. Is it really right to sacrifice our freedom to admire a natural phenomenon?
Master: When the moon hides behind the sun, even shadows feel free to fly; the true constraint is our desire to purchase the shadow of an event that belongs to no one.
Monaco: So, if authority decides what we can see and what we must share, what is the point of observing the universe when we are chained to a website’s terms?
Master: The universe is a great light show without a ticket, but we, with pockets full of cookies, pay the price of an imaginary admission; thus the eclipse becomes our greatest irony, a night of stars in which we are still in the darkness of our own data.
That’s all for now. From the Paris editorial office I am Rachel Costa: this is FranceToday with Centrale Milano 1575 kHz.