The city of Evora in Portugal hosted the first International Astrotourism Congress, a booming practice which consists of observing the stars from places with low light pollution.
Preserving a night sky
This meeting was organized by the Starlight Foundation, which defends the preservation of a night environment for the benefit of starlight.
“The sky is not just for scientists, emphasizes Antonia Valera, director of the Starlight Foundation. Protecting the sky is to protect biodiversity, flora and fauna, it is to protect our health. By protecting nature and the environment, we integrate the landscape that we have forgotten. Therefore, a sustainable planet depends on the preservation and conservation of the night sky. “
A rural hotel focused on stargazing
An hour’s drive from Evora, the Alqueva Astronomical Observatory is an example of an astrotourism site. We met sky lovers there, like Cristina Fabo Indurain. She runs a rural hotel in Extremadura focused on stargazing. “Wewelcome the telescopes of individuals who are not fortunate enough to have the skies we enjoy here. So they bring their telescopes, set them up with us and operate them remotely from their homes. “
Fight light pollution
Reduce light pollution and preserve the night sky. This is the fight of Susana Malón, CEO of ‘Lumínica Ambiental’: _ “We try to fight so that lighting projects really have the least possible impact on the environment. If we are aware that noise pollutes, then we also have to take into account that excessive lighting can also lead to environmental pollution, which goes far beyond the visual loss of stars. “
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Fernando Ruiz, monk of the monastery of Santa María del Olivar, considers stargazing to be a spiritual experience: “It is an experience that makes us humble, that makes us realize our tiny place in the universe and the size of our problems.”
In our busy and busy lives, we should look more to the sky to devote time to contemplating the universe.
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