EXAMPLE 00 ever Have you OO heard the term dark sky park This is a special place where efforts are made to keep the night sky really dark That means the use of light is either completely avoided or kept 31 the absolute minimum People visit dark sky parks to observe stars and planets without artificial lighting and to enjoy the night sky the way it truly should be seen from Earth naturally beautiful contrasting dark and yet shiny The very first dark sky park in Slovakia and the 20th oldest in the world was opened in 2010 in Poloniny Poloniny is a national park 32 in eastern Slovakia near the borders with Poland and Ukraine It is part of the Eastern Carpathians mountain range and is known for 33 pristine nature diverse ecosystems and rich biodiversity Poloniny National Park is an important area for the conservation of natural habitats and species attracting visitors interested in ecotourism and outdoor activities such 34 hiking birdwatching and Stargazing Despite its unique nature Poloniny is the least visited national ark in Slovakia The effects of human activity on the environment re minimal making Poloniny home to an extraordinary number endangered animal and plant species The mountains prevent direct visibility of lights from surrounding towns and villages and the population is very sparse in the area around the park thanks t which there is minimal to 35 artificial lighting Th 36 Poloniny the darkest area in Slovakia with very low light pollution Unfortunately there are no areas with zero li pollution in Slovakia 37 In good conditions objects and phenomena no longer or only rare visible in most of Europe can be observed in the night sky The Milky Way is perfectly visible and nearly 2 000 stars can be seen without a telescope compared to approximately 200 in towns ar 20 in cities Apart from being a great place for outdoor stargazin sessions Poloniny is also home to 38 Observatory on Kolonick sedlo It houses the second largest astronomical telescope in Slovakia with a diameter Vihorlat 39 1 metre and the public can book a night sessie The Poloniny Dark Sko