Night Sky
Look up. This is what the sky always was
Light pollution has erased the stars from the horizon for nearly everyone who lives in cities. But here, in the Sierra de Lagunilla, the night sky is still what it has always been.
A Bortle 3 sky: dark, clean, where the Milky Way appears to the naked eye as a band of light stretching from horizon to horizon, and where the number of visible stars is, the first time, almost hard to believe. You don’t need to be an astronomer to enjoy it. Just darkness, time and the will to look up.
The best observation point is the Balcón de Extremadura, at 1,091 metres of altitude, with the southern horizon completely open toward the Extremadura plain.
When to come
New moon
The best night for observing. Check the lunar calendar before heading out.
Summer
The Milky Way is visible from June to September. August is the star month: the Perseids peak around 12 August.
Winter
Fewer visitors, cleaner skies and spectacular winter constellations. Wrap up well: temperatures at the viewpoint drop sharply.
Explore the sky from here
Before you come, or right from the viewpoint itself, you can explore Lagunilla’s sky in real time with Stellarium Web, the free online planetarium.
And if you prefer a mobile app, here are the most recommended:
Star Walk 2
The most visual and accessible. Augmented reality, a very polished interface. iOS and Android.
Sky Tonight
Predicts whether the night will be good based on the moon, clouds and light pollution. Free.
SkyView Lite
The simplest for beginners: point your phone and it tells you what you’re looking at. Free.
Stellarium Mobile
The app version of the web planetarium. Very complete, works without internet.