Brazilian Stargazers Escape The Cities For 'Astro-tourism'
Astro-tourism is sweeping Brazil as city people seek ways to escape the urban jungle and immerse themselves in the glories of the night sky. This expanding trend is attracting stargazers to remote locations where they can engage in celestial studies and investigate the enthralling mysteries of the cosmos.?
Brazil has become a sanctuary for Astro-tourists due to its bustling cities and magnificent natural scenery. Seeking refuge from light pollution and uninterrupted views of the stars, stargazers are flocking to secluded rural places that provide excellent circumstances for stargazing.?
The country's vast terrain, including the Amazon rainforest, the Pantanal wetlands, and a lengthy coastline, provides a range of settings for astro-tourism activities.
Stars in Their Eyes:?Brazil's Stargazers Escape Cities For 'Astro-tourism'? ?
Pedro Froes, taken aback by the oranges and blues of the Jewel Box star cluster, part of the Southern Cross constellation, manages to utter a few words: "It's incredible." Froes is looking through a telescope at the stars in Desengano State Park, 260 kilometres (160 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro, in a rural area generally free of light pollution.?
Desengano is Latin America's first "International Dark Sky Park," according to DarkSky, a worldwide light pollution tracker. And Froes is one of the park's growing number of "Astro-tourists," drawn there by the park's remoteness from towns and the light pollution they pour into the night sky.?
"You can see 3,000 stars a year with your naked eye from here," astronomer Daniel Mello of the Valongo Observatory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
"In cities like Rio or Sao Paulo, you might see 200 in a year."
Mello conducts a public observation session in front of around 20 people on the front lawn of the park's headquarters in the small hamlet of Santa Maria Madalena, pointing with a laser to the Southern Cross, Scorpio, and Centaurus constellations.
The event is part of an initiative organised by Mello and a group of tourism, ecological, and photography experts.
The nearest major city is 120 kilometres away, shielding the park's lush foliage, forest, and mountains from artificial light.
This means that the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye even on moonlit nights. Two telescopes provide views of more distant stars.
"I've always admired the sky, but I've never had the opportunity to see it like this," says Froes, a 22-year-old scientist from Niteroi, a city near Rio de Janeiro.
Around 80% of the world's population sleeps in night skies polluted by artificial light due to modernization?and urbanization.?
Beyond obscuring the stars, light pollution has a negative environmental impact, producing restless humans, disoriented migratory birds, and reproduction problems in other species.
The only other place recognised by DarkSky in Latin America is Chile's Elqui Valley, categorized as a "sanctuary."
Unlike in Chile, Europe, or the United States, astro-tourism in Brazil is still in its infancy.
However, "especially in the last six months," says Nelson Saraiva, an increasing number of stargazers have travelled to Santa Maria Madalena. He owns one of the few motels in the 10,000-person town, where most residents are farmers.
A retired teacher, Saraiva believes that astro-tourism will be a major economic advantage to the neighbourhood. Aside from Mello's observing sessions, regular meetings combine astronomy and gastronomy.
The government and local companies have joined forces to organise a star festival to capitalise on increased tourist interest. The first festival was held in September of last year, with plans for this fall's annual event in the works.?
Desengano Park must also support environmental education and employ low-impact lighting to receive DarkSky accreditation.
These kinds of moves are excellent for the sky but have real-world consequences.
"We have an enormous diversity of birds, mammals, and reptiles that are only here because the place is preserved," explains Carlota Enrici, park research manager and biologist.
"Reducing light pollution keeps the ecosystem in balance."
The astronomer Mello thinks that other towns in Brazil will follow Desengano's example, which will not only increase tourism but also "restore people's contact with the starry sky and nature."
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