Dr. László Mosoni: Zselic Park of Stars
SEFAG Forest Management and Wood Industry Share Co., Hungary
The heart of the Zselic region in Southwest Hungary is a hidden jewel-box for tourists who are enthusiastic about natural treasures. The unique forest and the rich wildlife of the Landscape Protection Area have always been acknowledged. Furthermore, the night sky is also precious because of the low level of light pollution. One can count thousands of stars and easily spot the Milky Way on a good night.
Zselic Park of Stars offers an amazing opportunity to experience the starry sky. The environment is perfect for learning about the vast Universe, old stories written in stellar constellations, and also about the negative effects of the many light sources we use everywhere – e.g., causing stress and diseases to most of us, decreasing the population of many animal species, wasting money and resources.
The Landscape Protection Area of Zselic got the title of International Dark Sky Park back in 2009 among the first ones. Few years later, in 2015, the public observatory of Zselic Park of Stars opened with the goal to present the many values of this land via various daytime and nighttime, indoor and outdoor programs. One can observe the Sun or other celestial objects from the telescope dome, learn more at planetarium shows and at the exhibitions in the Observatory, or on a thematic natural history or stargazing hike in the nearby forest. Zselic Park of Stars will be presented by Dr. László Mosoni, astronomer, the head of the Observatory.