A Dark Winter Sky over Monfragüe National Park in Spain
Image Credit & Copyright: José Luis Quiñones (Entre Encinas y Estrellas)
Explanation: You, too, can see a night sky like this. That is because
Monfragüe National Park in
Spain, where this composite image was created, has recently had its
night sky officially protected from potential future
light pollution. Icons of the
night sky that should continue to stand out during northern winter -- and are visible on the featured image -- include very bright stars like
Sirius,
Betelgeuse, and
Procyon, bright star clusters like the
Pleiades, and, photographically, faint nebulas like the
California and
Rosette Nebulas. Even 100 years ago, many people were more familiar with a
darker night sky than people today, primarily because of the modern
light pollution. Other
parks that have been similarly protected as
dark-sky preserves include
Death Valley National Park (USA) and
Grasslands National Park (Canada). Areas such as the city of
Flagstaff, Arizona and much of the
Big Island of Hawaii also have their
night skies protected.
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