Astronomy arguably the first science cultivated by humans is in some danger Light Pollution from cities obscures the stars. And if you go astronomers and astrophysicists were the first to identify the danger of losing the night sky society wasnt aware of the importance of preserving that sky people thought astronomers were the only ones interested for scientific or personal reasons the nine is the most with us as is the end though we may be witnessing the end of dark nights. In the cities are excessively illuminated where you both are not. The observatory is about to move farther and farther away to increasingly remote settings. With the most remote those. Quality of the sky. If you discover in the middle of it some skies look beautiful whats that about the of but its not guaranteed theyll stay that wife is the light and the starlight certifications ensure that there are regulations that will keep the skies so dark that people can enjoy the skies. The Canary Islands is the birthplace of European Astro tourism other regions in the south of spain with significant attractions for visitors and a good infrastructure have added astronomy to their offerings. And after the war in the skies are clear day and night and Illusia Ideal For Astro Tourism when the sun shines tourists can enjoy the weather the beach bars and the
visitors to spain are looking for these very dark very clear skies that have been lost in their own countries. Spains privilege situation did not go unnoticed by the great powers of the Twentieth Century who built their astronomical complexes here. These antennas played a central role in the moon landing nasa set them up in robledo d. H. Of ala in the early one Nine Hundred Sixty s. Theyre part of the u. S. Agency Satellite Monitoring and space projects complex. In the one Nine Hundred Seventy s. Domes changed the landscape of sierra day last fall operation in our maria in southeastern spain at over two thousand meters altitude Continental Europe the Largest Observatory was built here the german spanish Astronomical Centerminister a fully working carmen s. Was an idea that arose at a Scientific Meeting in Two Thousand And Eight where Eleven International institutions agreed to create a device that could do what had never been possible in science before detect planets outside our solar system which like earth could potentially support life without our view that we dont of this. Color alto is also exceptionally productive its the European Center that generates the highest number of scientific publications thats thanks to on again harle and her colleagues. From this room she monitors the telescopes in the center during the night they become the eyes of scientists all over the world. Will begin in a thermal set of some astronomers come here themselves or we follow their detailed
instructions and carry out the research for them they tell us what to observe how long which filter which entrance lit what spectrum and so on but the key thing they ask and we have serve at the end of the night we send them the data and then at their various Research Centers they examine the data and decide if we need to make changes or continue as is good it will yet to come off in the. At the Control Center we meet on a pasquali this italian astronomer has traveled from Heidelberg University to supervise her observation hours tonight. Let me reach chad Guy My Research focuses on the formation of galaxies and tad they change over time to get us. Into the what im doing now. Studying these galaxies which we call essential galaxies that have the possibility of growing and
merging with other galaxies are. Increasing them must sundial you mention over time the zero mean the mass of the main sewer nicci at that time they pull it up with the car let out the fundament that. P. M. S. Any is essential for this this is the only way we can understand how stars aborning galaxies at different Stages Of Development in the universe see if they were that saw. The firmament is observed by brilliant scientists but also by thousands of Amateur Astronomers their contribution cannot be underestimated the performer. We professionals must form closer ties with Amateur Astronomers or tourist because im convinced that they will contribute to the future of professional astronomy and second because a lot of science can be done with equipment that they already have. As
a boy when the wisconsin his car bio dreamed of becoming an astronomer and yet his professional life took him down other roads so instead for almost thirty years he has spent all his free time on astronomy. As amateurs we can work intensively with professional astronomers its very exciting because instead of storing our work on our own computers we added to databases that others can use. He is prolific he publishes books writes for scientific journals and does research with International Groups in recent years he helped discover a supernova with an italian team. Thats a bit of a Health Element of a supernova is the most cataclysmic phenomenon in the universe since the big bang seeing it live being part of the co discovery of a supernova justifies all those hours all the time devoted to it although thats not the only reason to do it you do it because its fun and you enjoy it and the
data you gather night after night can be useful for other people like an alternate to put it into the other person thats how he cultivates his hobby he spends hours and hours interpret ing data the times he used to sit outside and gaze into the night sky are long past. When you observe from a fixed spots like your house you have to have an observatory in place to avoid always setting it up and taking it down which is tedious. Nowadays nonprofessional astronomers who are more serious about this can have Equipment Set up in a remote observatory and then they can work from home you know full well. Amateur astronomers from other countries also choose to come to the Iberian Peninsula the one hundred and you have travelled from germany to Fragonard Sierra in the foothills of sierra madre now theyve come with
a clear objective we will. Set up our new telescope and where world test. Automatic. Breaking if only for so long before the craft there is one of the last telescopes set up here for hosting a special way of renting a private observatory they chose this location after analyzing other destinations on other continents. This is the best place for installing Robot Telescope because its very dark here with the first point of the other part is a very good seeing here and you can reach but very fast especially from traveling the you just have to fly to you here very short so its. A sound interrupts the interview the dome on the neighboring observatory starts moving the sun is setting and the Building Owner of this telescope wants to check
todays Sky Conditions from the heart of europe he directs operations by Remote Control as he watches us through his camera in a few weeks these astronomers will be able to do the same thing from their homes in munich of the china while even remaking pictures of galaxies sometimes Planetary Nebula we are not really doing scientific stuff fly in russia man saw a light for supernova Something Like that thats only if were not scientists in that way were just doing our spare time we are you know Amateur Astronomers and just biking pretty pictures as you can see and we also have a look at the stars here to see because the charming its not possible anymore its pollution is too strong so were going here to do. In germany alone there are Thirty ThousandAmateur Astronomers who have to travel outside their country to be
able to enjoy their hobby the same thing happens in other countries some of these aficionados have come to this astronomical complex you mean it will come here for the climate in this colonies they mainly from Northern Europe weve got people from various nations from russia Great Britain france and belgium the u. S. Company in america came here to build a telescope with us i mean were going to the new interest. The initial forecasts were soon surpassed and a business was born with a certain romantic touch that the images that are now going to this land some years ago an extra muddle and we realized the sky was of incredible quality we would come with a telescope to look at the stars and it was great we invited friends and since jose luis had good connections in the Astronomy Scene he knew there was big demand for places to put up telescopes so we thought maybe that was a good way to indulge our passion for astronomy and run
a business at the same time i mean it and i dont want to feel. The Hosting Service has given them International Prestige among astronomers the complex also offers accommodation and workshops. At night for the leading lights make their interests. Between the gnarled oaks and the broad landscape the stars appear in dazzling brilliance. If they can go to the movies a wreck in this area but you can see about two thousand stars compared with a city where you can see only thirty or forty maybe fifty stars maximum you get. To learn more about stars we attend an astronomy session. Or san luis can you honestly the soul of this Project Place is stars within the context of the universe. Is that was me that is everything were seeing here is expanding the universe is huge its Fourteen Billion years old and still expanding to see if we live in a large super city in the milky way with over Four Hundred Billion stars oh my that but that doesnt mean the us this day gets. The numbers are astonishing the explanations show how important astronomy has always been for humans. Boners the thought what if im going to be all our grandparents knew and identify the stars speak of the brightest star in the Constellation Virgo that means we spike them and when it appeared in the east they knew it was time to sew or harvest astronomy was essential for daily life but today environmentalists pollution and all our technology have completely disconnected us and for that they can put a damper. The
stars have gone out in the eyes of many. Who live in the developed world. This is what the planet looks like at Night Artificial Light illuminates large surfaces of the northern hemisphere. Is the largest dam in Western Europe the waters of the glory on a river serve as the boundary between spain and portugal. The portuguese were the pioneers in promoting astro tourism. The idea arose in Two Thousand And Eight as part of creating a Sustainable Program for the alqaeda region to offer something unique in terms of
nature and resources for tourism we thought of something no one had considered before the sky. Its now a starlight Tourist Destination certified by the Starlight Foundation in Two Thousand And Eleven we were the First Destination in the world to obtain the certification. Since then alqaeda has become a must visit destination for astro truism this is fall into two groups. Just wrong so essentially there is the Amateur Astronomers who love observing the sky and then theres a large increase in families many children hear about the night sky at school but they cant see the constellations in the cities where they live. So they come here with their parents to experience the dark skies together. Even the show thats not. This Megalithic Monument The Cromlech of
chess was moved near months of us when the outcome of a dam was built its the setting for Summer Star Parties and the face of the familiar. With the its a party for the whole family the activities are suitable for both children and adults you can observe the sun theres a workshop for adults and children about the solar system and right now weve got a yoga session here behind us. The presence of hundreds of people lends a special symbolism to this place amid Five Thousand year old stones its a unique place to connect with the universe. Night force. And sheltered by the convent Double Router its time to learn more about astronomy. We go claro the Official Astro photographer here shares his interest in the science of astronomy from a different perspective photographing space are standing firmly on the earth. Was
the intent clearly very we want space to be more than just the telescope photographs disseminated by nasa and the european southern observatory. The blizzard. Of when people look at these images they cant identify with them because they have no point of reference to know where they are. Mail us. The news so. This works so. We want them to be able to connect to the sky and the earth and find relevance and astronomy. Then there is the richness of the landscape of all caver with a crime lab and other elements of what it has to offer. Its very important to relay this message to promote ourselves. In the. Course and give the food the the season was far from it. At midnight its time to contemplate the firmament some with the help of more or Less Advanced Technology and many with the naked eye today with the new moon the universe looks blended. The milky way passes overhead. Its easy to identify constellations like the big dipper c. V. S. Or cassiopeia. And stars that shine with their own name such as vega or dinner. The sky here affords excellent visibility and average of Two Hundred Eighty Six nights a year. The degree of darkness in the Three ThousandSquare Kilometer region ranges
from twenty one point two to twenty one point eight thats the equivalent of rural skies to true dark sky sites. And those dark skies attract thousands of people interested in astronomy. Some areas offer multiple activities while others are specialized this is the case at the Astronomy Center in the province of via delete the only center in the world to be considered a star park. I care if it was the rest of us if we didnt do astrophysics here but that is done at la palma in the Canary Islands and more professional observatories but we do receive School Visits in the winter months with them we get tourist families and what we do is open up a little window of knowledge about the sky to them so they learn a bit more about what is up there in the sky they can look through telescopes oh
with the naked eye of a horse. After decades of experience publicizing information about astronomy young tales knows very well that this discipline requires scientific knowledge and something more. Basic it is the rule out to talk about science you need a romantic view of the many of us there and you have. I got of those we wanted that if they were really lovely concepts in astronomy like that we come from the stars for example everything that exists that has substance comes from the stars with Scientific Concepts which are a bit inaccessible to many people it is important to present them with that sort of enticement as you share information. Night phones everyone takes their position. The roof of the Astronomy Center slowly opens like
a curtain at a theater and the star show begins. With a muslim feel about it though the rock constellations in the night sky that can be seen with the naked eye people really like Discovering Statutary since scorpio and the stories that go with the constellations. For example have a good look theres sci fi is king of ethiopia who married cassiopeia years ago. So thats Greek Mythology area its a lovely way for people to understand and know more about the sky. Theyre going to tell me. For years the Extremadura Center for advanced technologies has been making films for planetaria. Some are shown at the trujillo planetarium and others are distributed in spain and latin america. More