Advances for the protection of the sky at Calar Alto

The exceptional quality of the skies at Eastern Andalusia is now legally protected, what will allow preserving their natural conditions for astronomical observation. The Ministry for the Environment of the Regional Government of Andalusia has just established the influence area of Calar Alto Observatory, what sets up the conditions that lighting facilities will have to keep from now on, inside this zone. This influence area, with a surface of 3788 km² (1463 square miles), constitutes the widest zone in Europe having a specific protection against Light pollution.

Map showing the influence area of Calar Alto Observatory for the protection of its skies against light pollution: Z1 (blue) and Z2 (pink) areas.

The Andalusian regulation on light pollution arises from the Law for the Integrated Management of Environmental Quality (ley de Gestión Integrada de la Calidad Ambiental), approved in 2007, that includes a chapter devoted to this environmental problem. The ancillary regulation developing this chapter was issued in 2010 and, since then, several phases of its long application process have been covered. This regulation counts among those most advanced in the world and it aims to regulate light pollution over all the territory of the autonomous community Andalusia, focusing on all the aspects involved: astronomy, effects on the natural environment and biodiversity, quality of life and public security.

The Andalusian regulation establishes more rigorous criteria for lighting facilities placed inside environmentally protected areas and in the surroundings of astronomical observatories of international relevance: Sierra Nevada Observatory and Calar Alto Observatory. Now the time has come to define rigorously these specially protected areas.

The Andalusian government has just approved an influence area for Calar Alto (Z1 and Z2) that includes, partially or totally, fifty seven municipalities in the provinces of Granada and Almería. The conditions posed for lighting facilities in this zone will be mandatory for new projects, but they affect those already existing only in very specific cases. The rules establish criteria for an efficient and sustainable outdoor lighting, respectful with the night-time natural environment and with the quality of the night sky. These criteria, when implemented, will stop the increase of light pollution detected during recent years and, in a near future, they will eventually revert this tendency.

Protecting sky quality will imply outstanding economic benefits thanks to energy saving but, also, scientific, technologic, cultural and touristic benefits. The best sky of Europe constitutes a natural heritage with intrinsic aesthetical value that, at the same time, has huge possibilities for the development of our region.

Image:

Map showing the influence area of Calar Alto Observatory for the protection of its skies against light pollution: Z1 (blue) and Z2 (pink) areas. (3.2 MB)

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