Dark Sky Tiendegaarden

The reasons for the appointment included:

“In one place in Denmark, the starry sky shines brighter than anywhere else – it does on Møn and Nyord. And it is the starry sky that is one of our unique selling points in South Coast Denmark. It is the symbol that the destination is everything that Copenhagen is not. As the only place in the world, Møn and Nyord have been designated as both a Dark Sky Park and a Dark Sky Community. An international recognition that the area not only offers a fantastic starry sky. But also a pat on the back for the great local work that is underway to get nature, the local population and tourism to develop together while taking into account the local context.”

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The award was presented by the mayor of Næstved, Carsten Rasmussen, who is also the chairman of the board of VisitSydsjælland-Møn A/S. He praised, among other things, the great voluntary work that has been put into the project, and the exemplary cooperation that has been between local, municipal and commercial actors. At the same time, he called for the effort to now be intensified:

"The Dark Sky brand is a springboard for the further development of a number of products. You already have your own stage, the "Mælkevejen" on the Camønoen hiking route. Your local restaurants have adopted the idea, and you can log on to the internet and buy a "Dark Sky package trip". And the Universe can hold far more than that. So let this be a call for the commercial actors to now seriously get on the field and take the night sky to themselves", said Carsten Rasmussen.

Each star map shows the seasonal starry sky over Møn and Nyord, but at a specific time.

Namely at the summer and winter solstices and at the spring and autumn equinoxes. All four maps show how the starry sky looks on that day at 11 p.m. It is not necessary to be out exactly at 11 p.m., but within an hour before and after 11 p.m. is best.

To use the star maps on other days, add an hour for every two weeks you are before the date or subtract an hour for every two weeks you are after. For the spring and autumn maps, remember to compensate for any daylight saving time.

When you need to find your way around the starry sky with the star maps, turn your face towards one of the corners of the world, which are marked on the edge of the maps, south, east, north or west. Hold the map so that the corner of the world you are looking at is facing downwards. The star map now corresponds to the starry sky in the relevant direction, from the horizon to the zenith, the point vertically above your head. The zenith is marked with a cross in the middle of the map.

Enjoy!

Each star map shows the seasonal starry sky over Møn and Nyord, but at a specific time.

Namely at the summer and winter solstices and at the spring and autumn equinoxes. All four maps show how the starry sky looks on that day at 11 p.m. It is not necessary to be out exactly at 11 p.m., but within an hour before and after 11 p.m. is best.

To use the star maps on other days, add an hour for every two weeks you are before the date or subtract an hour for every two weeks you are after. For the spring and autumn maps, remember to compensate for any daylight saving time.

When you need to find your way around the starry sky with the star maps, turn your face towards one of the corners of the world, which are marked on the edge of the maps, south, east, north or west. Hold the map so that the corner of the world you are looking at is facing downwards. The star map now corresponds to the starry sky in the relevant direction, from the horizon to the zenith, the point vertically above your head. The zenith is marked with a cross in the middle of the map.

Enjoy!

Make friends with the dark. Daylight is important for your well-being, but your body needs darkness just as much to stay healthy and fit.

"Should the lights be on?" is the question often asked of children when they are put to bed for the night. It is instinctive in us humans that we associate light with security and darkness with fear. But in fact, darkness is incredibly important to us. It sets our internal clock and ultimately affects our health. But it is not just us humans who are affected by light and darkness, animals are also affected.

Above you see examples of light pollution maps of Denmark and Zealand, and here you can clearly see where we emit the most light at night. Try to see what it is like where you live?

*Fabio Falci et al, 2016, the new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness

What can you do yourself now and here to reduce light pollution on your property?

The working group for Dark Sky Møn has drawn up effective rules for good lighting, which are easy to implement on your property. See the eight "postcard photos" above. By following these eight simple rules for sustainable lighting, you can make an effort yourself, regardless of whether you live on Møn or elsewhere in Denmark.

What does it cost?

In fact, you will save a lot in electricity costs from the very beginning. Maybe you should invest in a new outdoor lamp? But is the one you have not used up yet? Regardless, there are good, affordable outdoor lamps on the market that already meet the requirements for "proper" lighting.

Enjoy and hurry up and get started!

At Dark Sky Møn, we are committed to preserving the dark night sky and fighting against light pollution.

We take care of the darkness, for the benefit of people and animals who need darkness as much as light to be in balance.

On the islands of Møn and Nyord, the darkness of the night is close to natural. Here, the night, the Milky Way and the starry sky unfold in such splendor that we cannot describe it in words or pictures. It must be experienced with your own senses, in a total experience of the night. Here you come closer than ever to the starry sky, which you can never experience in the city. With Møns Klint as a backdrop, you become part of the grandeur and drama between cliff, sea and sky.

The feeling of being a small person, alone or close to others in the dark, one with the universe, the great space, makes you dizzy and provides grounding at the same time.

Let go of your foothold for a while!

Long ago, under the Milky Way's eternal circle across the night sky, the white chalk cliffs of Møn were formed.

70 million years later, the white chalk and the brilliant Milky Way are still visible on Møn.

We have all heard of the Milky Way, but how many have seen the real Milky Way? Due to light pollution, the Milky Way is in most places in Denmark and the Western world in general, just a shadow of itself.

From Møn and Nyord, the Milky Way is still seen as the luminous band of stars that stretches from horizon to horizon on late summer nights and autumn evenings. The Milky Way has always been visible from Earth, as it is the galaxy that the Earth and the Sun were born in and belong to.

The dinosaurs that lived when the chalk that forms the foundation of Møn was formed had a Milky Way that is just as clear and brilliant as we can see from Møn and Nyord today.