11/21/2023 0 Comments Sky zone near us![]() ![]() ![]() High in the Catalan Pyrenees Mountains, concerted and successful night sky conservation efforts have made the Montsec Astronomy Park a star in the world of amateur astronomy. Hence the north zone of Regional Park of the Sierra de Gredos is among the elite spots in the world for both astronomical observation and astrophotography. The ideal natural conditions above the northern Gredos Mountains-like nearly non-existent light pollution, low humidity and more than 200 nights of cloudless sky-are ideal and simply jaw-dropping for astronomers. Even though Gredos is only a quick drive from your hotel in Madrid, in 2013 the Starlight Foundation designated a wide section of the night sky above the northern mountains of the region with the certification of Starlight Tourist Destination. Back on the mainland, at the center of the Iberian Peninsula, the northern Gredos Mountains host activities for active tourism, which include an alpine school, horseback trail riding, interpretive nature walks and of course amateur astronomy and stargazing. Starlight certifications are by no means exclusive to the Canary Islands. Professional astronomers and knowledgeable, trained amateurs can even rent telescope time at the Mons Observatory. Also, visitors are offered guided tours through the largest solar observatory in the world at the Teide Observatory. More adventurous hikers have discovered the trails of Las Cañadas as phenomenal places to observe the night lights. The European Union has made El Teide in Tenerife the first stop on its EU Sky Route, a world-wide itinerary of unique and officially certified stargazing sites, where local communities have made fervent efforts to protect the right of the continent’s citizens to view a clean and brilliant night sky. The Astronomical Association of Fuerteventura organizes visits and tours, as well as courses on astrophotography. High on Tegu Mountain in Fuerteventura, at the Mirador de Morro Velosa near Betancuria, the heavens explode with the light of burning stars and swirling galaxies. Through a creation of Starlight Reserves and Starlight Tourist Destinations, more and more visitors are traveling to places like the Biosphere Reserve in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, as well as lookouts at El Teide National Park and Los Cumbres in Tenerife to watch the rare phenomena like meteor showers, super moons and exploding stars with brightness and clarity envied by urban sky watchers. In 2009, Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), in association with UNESCO, created the Starlight Foundation, a collective that looks to change the way the public values a clear and beautiful night sky. And since 2009, a wide-arching “Dark Skies Awareness” campaign, grown from a variety of educational and cultural institutions, has found a fitting flagship destination in the Canaries, as observers can enjoy nocturnal spectacles almost anywhere on the islands and on almost any night of the year. The largest optical telescope in the world sits atop Caldera de Taburiente National Park in nearby Gran Canaria island. On Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, the night sky is one of the clearest in the world, where the Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon, and where planets glow and the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy can be seen with the naked eye a paradise for professional and novice stargazers. On a bushy and rocky surface, next to Spain´s tallest mountain, the white domes of El Teide Observatory spill down the landscape like a futuristic city. Stellar Parks, Starlight Reserves, Sky Routes and sky decks are allowing amateur astronomers the chance to see the sky properly, as few can: a beautiful black void pierced by millions of brilliant heavenly bodies. ![]() Here, there remain places where efforts are being made to preserve the clarity of the night, and astrotourism is ever on the rise. But in the Spanish heavens, this trend is changing. As cities and world population grow, the heavenly real estate suitable for sky watchers and star gazers is shrinking, always under assault by light and air pollution. Nowadays, the clarity of the night sky cannot be taken for granted. ![]()
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