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Austria launches star walk in Grossmugl

The Austrian town of Grossmugl has built what is thought to be the world's first permanent star walk installation, open 24 hours a day.

Austria launches star walk in Grossmugl
Photo: Mrazek Matys

Most European cities of any size lack the opportunity to see stars as our ancestors once did, due to light pollution from street lights, houses and vehicles.  

The small town of Grossmugl in Lower Austria is situated within easy driving distance of Vienna, yet the skies are sufficiently dark to allow observation down to a magnitude of 6.

In layman's terms, this means that visitors can observe with the naked eye a host of stars that they normally would never see in a city, only 30 minutes drive out of town.

Furthermore, the faint light of the milky way will allow viewing of the galaxy in which our star may be found.

The star walk is a 1.5 km marked trail that leads visitors along a discovery pathway, with places for easy viewing of the night sky.  

It was designed in conjunction with Project Nightflight, a non-profit group which is registered as the Association for the Presentation and Conservation of the Starry Sky, and which consists of astrophotographers from around the world who value the preservation of star-gazing without light pollution.

The walk is designed for novice star gazers, offering an introduction that requires no prior knowledge of astronomy. It is similar to several other European locations which encourage the availability of Dark Sky Parks.

Although the star walk is open 24 hours a day, organizers confirm that stars will only be visible at night, and then only in conjunction with good weather.  


Photo: Project Nightlight

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SUMMER

Stargazing: When and where to see the Perseid meteor shower in Spain

Look up to the night skies as this year’s Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. Here’s everything you need to know for a night of stargazing in Spain.

Stargazing: When and where to see the Perseid meteor shower in Spain
Shooting stars over Tilde. Photo: Miguel Serra-Ricart / Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

When: 

The shower has been active since the 17th of July and will continue until August 24th. But activity will peak this weekend and early next week, when the best stargazing expected on the nights of August 11th. 12th and 13th before the moon becomes full on the 15th and the sky to light to view the expected 100 meteorites falling per hour. 

Stay up late or for the best results rise early as some of the best showings occur just before dawn.

Where:

The meteorite shower is visible across the northern hemisphere but will be especially good in southern Europe.

Find a place as far away from light pollution as possible so head to wide open spaces away from the city. Mountains and beaches are perfect. Then face northeast and enjoy the show.

If you are near an observatory then check the programme for Perseid related events. Madrid, Tenerife, Toledo and the planetarium in Pamplona are among those to stage viewings.

How:

The shooting stars are visible to the naked eye so no need for binoculars or a telescope but allow yourself to become accustomed to the darkness which usually takes around 20 minutes. And have patience as the shower comes in spurts – nothing for a while and then a sudden flurry of activity.

What it is:

In Spanish the phenomenon is known as Lágrimas de San Lorenzo – the tears of St Lawrence – because the best viewing nights often occur around the  feast day on August 10th of the Spanish saint martyred in 258 AD.

Shooting stars are caused by tiny flecks of comet hitting the earth’s atmosphere. The Perseids occur annually when the orbit of Earth crosses into the tail of the comet Swift-Tuttle.

The Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus because that is where the meteors seem to originate from when looking up at the sky.