Beskydy Dark Sky Park, Dark sky preserve in Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic and Žilina Region, Slovakia.
Beskydy Dark Sky Park covers 308 km² in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids, centred on Staré Hamry, with about two thirds in the Czech Republic and one third in Slovakia. It was declared on 4 March 2013 by Czech and Slovak astronomical and nature-protection institutions, and its logo shows a Ural owl and the Big Dipper.
The preserve was established in 2013 as a cross-border protected area, one of the first agreements of its kind between two European nations. Its creation reflects a growing recognition that natural darkness has value and needs protection from expanding light pollution.
The park's logo shows the silhouette of the Ural owl (Strix uralensis), a critically endangered species in the Czech Republic that is rarely seen in the Beskids, together with the Big Dipper. The founding memorandum was signed on 4 March 2013 by the Czech Astronomical Society, the Beskydy Protected Landscape Area administration, Lesy ČR and the Slovak Astronomical Society at the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
The area provides multiple viewing points where visitors can observe the sky; stargazing is best between September and March during clear nights. Warm clothing and sturdy shoes are important since the mountain terrain can be windy and cool.
The park's logo shows the silhouette of the Ural owl (Strix uralensis), a critically endangered species in the Czech Republic that is rarely seen in the Beskids, together with the Big Dipper. The area covers 308 km², about two thirds in the Czech Republic and one third in Slovakia.
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