Tourism and Dark-Sky Placesin Europe

Andreas HänelPlanetarium, Museum am Schölerberg, Osnabrück

Working Group DARK SKYder Vereinigung der Sternfreunde

Dark-Sky Parks SymposiumLastovo September 2010

Where in Europecan we observe a dark sky?

DMSP map 2008

We have to travel -> Astro tourism• local (avoid bright city lights)

• nature interested people• occasional observers, general astronomy interest• solar eclipse travel• amateurs ("hard core")

good weather!

Mean annual cloud cover

Anderson/Jubier

Astro tourismlocal (private or public observatory)

• bad weather

• light pollution

• flexible on weather

• short travels, comfort

• instruments: security, changes

Astro tourismsolar eclipse travel (Kenya 1980, Turkey 2006 - several 1000s)travel agencies (Eclipse Reisen, SAF, AFA, ....)

solar eclipse Turkey 2006

solar eclipse Kenya 1980

Astro tourismnature interested people (hiking, bird observations, geology ...)

• city tourism (observatories)

• nature reserves (bird watching)

• La Palma/Tenerife

• Hawaii

• Chile

• SW-USA

Astro tourismoccasional observers, general astronomy interest

• Alps (<2000 m): Enzensberger Alm, Calina ...

• Aniane, Portugal (COAA), COU, Tenerife, Marocco

• travel agencies (Wittmann Reisen, Eclipse Reisen)

• telescope meetings (ITV, AstroCiel, ...)

• astronomical youth camps (IAYC, ASL)

Sternwarte Königsleiten

IAYC Giessen 1976

IAYC Tunisia 1976

Astro tourism amateurs ("hard core")

• Alps (>2000m): Gornergrat, Großglockner, Queyras

• Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada

• Kreta

• La Palma

• Namibia (IAC)

• Chile (Atacama)

Gornergrat (Celnik)La Silla (Chile)

AstroQueyras (Lecocq)

How can we find a dark observing place?

DMSP map 2009

DMSP map• upward light• available 1992 - 2009 (since some weeks)• uncalibrated• resolution 2.7 km

Cinzano et al. world atlas• sky background brightness [* nat. bright.]• calibrated 1997• or derivates:

• sky background brightness[mag/arcsec²]

• number visible stars

Measuring sky brightness with the SQM/SQM-L• handy tool

• simple measurements

• but know and respect the limits!

• tests by Pierantonio Cinzano

geopositions with GPS• exact positions

• waypoints with SQM measurement

• navigation tool to search dark places

Measuring sky brightness with the DSLR• calibration with SQM

• easy and time saving

• fixed values: 1:1.8/28mm 1:1.4/30mm 1:2.8/4.5mm (fisheye)

• 1/20 or 10/20/30 sec exp.time

10.5 cd/m²2

3

>4

>4

2

1 mcd/m²

3

TERRA.vita, OsnabrückUNESCO GeoPark,

densely populated

TERRA.vita,Osnabrück14.10.09

Nationalpark Eifelborder to Belgium

near Bonn/Köln/Aachen

Dernau valley river Ahr

Naturpark/Nationalpark Eifel

21

20.5

20

19.5

19.0

Star Partiesin Germany• ITV

• HATT

• STATT

• Reinsehlen

• Hunsrück

• Almberg

• ...

Number ofparticipants oftendepending onweather!

Parc naturel régional Camargue

Provence:Mont Ventoux

Provence: Mont Ventoux

Provence: Mont Ventoux: 2000 m, 21.5 mag/arcsec²

Avignon

Carpentras

N

WS

Hautes Alpes: touristic useAvignon

Carpentras

Marseille

Aix-en-Provence

Haute-Provence

touristic use:night of starswith switch-off

darkest region Austrian Alps• Millstätter See, Spittal, Lammersdorfer Alm, 1600m, m = 21.2

• Nature park Nockberge, 2000m, m = 21.65

Austrian Alps

Nature park Nockberge

Alps: Favorite observing places• Gornergrat (CH)

• Silvretta

• Sattelberger Alm

• Großglockner (Wallackhaus)

• Nature park Nockberge

Developped touristic region:

Mallorca

Mallorca Santuari Sta. Magdalena landscape (CIE) -> W (Inca)

-> E (Alcudia)

nightscape

Mallorca Santuari Sant Salvador -> SE

Na Burguesa -> Palma 2s

Mallorca

Naturpark Westhavelland

Touristic undevelopped region,nature reserve:darkest region in Germanydiscussion about 21.7 mag/arcsec²70 km west of Berlin

Naturpark Westhavelland21.78 mag/arcsec² !

2120 20.5

Naturpark Westhavelland

Zodiacal light

Harz?

Sky Background

20.5

21

20DMSP 2008

Harz?UNESCO World Heritage

Sky Background

21.1-21.3

Canadas, 21.3

Teneriffa

Teneriffa

Touristic facilities La Palma

Casa Rosabel

Astropalma.com Pto. Naos

Touristic facilities La Palma

Casa Rosabel

Gonzalez/Hernandez Pto. Naos

La Palma, Roque deLos Muchachos, 21.6

natural dark sky

Cause: Lights from Los Llanos

Conclusions

• Maps useful to find dark sky places!

• DMSP have higher resolution (individual places)

• DMSP more recent (2009 <-> 1997)

• Cinzano maps coarser spatial resolution

• too broad levels (20.5 - 21.0 - 21.5)

• 0.5 mag/arcsec² too bright?

Conclusions

• Controversy: mass tourism <-> dark skies! (Mallorca)

• Controversy: protected areas - dark skies - tourism

• Good lighting! (La Palma) - but not only locally (lp wide reaching)

• Initiatives for astronomy and dark skies (Hautes Alpes, Montsec, La Palma)

• Create good offers (observing places, transport, accomodation ....)

• marketing (astroamateurs must know about the offer)

• multilingual

Montsec

Lastovo, 21.6

natural dark sky