Starry Nights in the Canary Islands

Your map, labeled Canary Islands, shows four islands. Incomplete. There are seven islands.
Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were missing.

Absolutely stunning! Stars were my very first friends, and they will certainly be my last, sheltering me in dogged continuity as I wend my way through this captivating life. Thank you for this quick getaway as I start out on another day. Felt as if I were there with you...

I wonder why the Canary Islands "Astronomic Quality Protection Law" (AKA "The Sky's Law") isn't mentioned.

This law was key for preserving that sky's vision, and for attracting international telescope installations.

I loved the article except for the history of the discovery of the Islands. I am a direct decendant of Herrnan Peraza and Beatriz de Bobadilla. They were part of the conquistadors from Spain that discovered the Canary Islands and In 1447 they became the rulers. Columbus stayed on the La Gomera island where he replenished his ships on his way to America, but he did not discover the Canary Islands. I recently traveled to the islands and visited La Gomera. I loved all the historical museums and monuments.

Thanks for highlighting the scientific work done in the Canary Islands. Please note these islands are not a Spanish territory, as stated in the article. They are part of Spain with the same rights and status as any of the other 16 Automomous Communities of Spain. Please, correct this mistake.

I once told a class I love looking up at the stars at night. A student told me that was a waste of time (she was from Costa Rica for those who love to trash Americans as the only stupid people). And this is the problem with our society today, we've lost connection with our place in the universe. When I was a little kid we would take walks at night when warm, and enjoy the night. Now that is difficult to do with high crime rate in our lives.

Great article. Great banner graphic/picture.

No mention of the Canary Islands and Atlantis? Shirley MacLaine writes about her recent trip to the Canaries in Above the Line: My Wild Oats Adventure, her new memoir about shooting an indie film there with Jessica Lange. On her personal time Shirley travels to Caldera park on La Palma. As she meditates on her past life in Atlantis a giant shows himself to her then disappears. "He was proof that all time exists simultaneously" (p. 53). Woven throughout her story of the making of the film, she expounds on the mythologies of Atlantis, astrology, astronomy and the Bible and other religions. Anyone interested in Astrotourism to the Canaries would derive a richer experience by reading her book.

The Canary Islands are not territories of Spain, they are part of Spain. The writer seems to be sorry the Spanish ever set foot on the Islands. She should leave her superiority complex aside when writing travel pieces.

Nina,

Thank you for an informative article. I am a photographer just now taking my first steps in astrophotography. The biggest problem I face living in the DC area is a complete lack of dark skies. However, I'll soon travel to the Outer Banks of NC which has sections with some of the better conditions on the East Coast. However, you've now whet my appetite for a trip to the Canary Islands.

Thanks!

Thank you so much for this great article. Gorgeous pics.

As someone that has been "obsessed" with the night sky since the age of 11, I would love to visit this place someday.

Awareness of the night sky makes us "better people," IMO. Shows how we truly fit-in to the grander scheme of things. Provides us with a sense of awe -- and humility.

Tks for bringing this all out.

Nice travel piece, but I winced reading " a beam of light slicing through a triangle and splitting into a prism"

Excellent writing, Nina.

A few years ago, when I was visiting as many of the Earth's islands as I could, I was delighted to see the Canary Islands' Tenerife, Lanzarote and La Palma. The attraction for me was what the travel brochure called, "eternal Spring," the islands' year-round spring weather. When I reached the islands what captured my attention were the live volcano organized as a tourist experience and the out-of-the-world underground experience, exploring art and music in the caves. The night sky festival with music sounds like a fabulous bookend to the underground experience. Wish I were there. I captured my world island hopping experience in a fictional short story, one of the fictional short stories, in my book, "Water Dancing." I look forward to these astrotourists and scientists capturing this night sky of the Canary Islands in their writings. Great article, thanks.

We work in Canary Island many year ago, we visit many place around the world looking for the stars and, I'm sure, that not are nothing more lovely that one night in La Gomera, La Pama, Tenerife or El hierro looking for the stars.

On the Canary Islands shall be
Dolly and Namu and Dad someday
In the Heart of the Night,
Dancing to the Rhythm of the Starry Nights,
Tuning to the Song of the Canary,
Kissing the Muse of the Solitary Nights
In the Apple of the Eye of Love.

Cool article. Tenerife has a great history but I didn't realize its present-day significance. Humboldt climbed to the summit of Pic de Teide, and formulated his most significant biogeography based on it. More than anything else, it convinced Darwin of the need to travel. It was the first stop of the Beagle, but they were quarantined because of a cholera outbreak and couldn't land. When they departed, Darwin wrote in his journal that it was like "leaving a friend." The first scientific observatory was established in the summer of 1856 by Piazzi Smyth (I think). I'll go there -- to drink in one of the many wacky bars and to climb the peak (not in that order) -- just to toast the great scientists of the past who viewed the stars from its island heights.

This place is just magnificent, perfect place to stay and have your mind set. What I love about this place is not only taht its unique but it is far away from home, its out there and its a perfect place to wonder about.

One of the fortunate things about living in Texas is relatively easy access to some of the darkest skies in the world. In fact, I'm driving 5 hours tomorrow to a Class-1 site for stargazing with my telescopes (on a scale of 1-9, 1 is the darkest sky). I'm an avid astro-tourist, and I've stargazed from Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, Namibia, Russia, China, and Mongolia. Frankly, we Americans are so blessed that the land west of 99th meridian west (west of San Antonio and Austin) has not been destroyed as it has over the Tri-state Area or most of Europe.

Words fail to convey how marvelous tens of thousands of stars look like on an inky blue background, on moonless nights. You become dizzy as if you'd become adrift in outer space. Every minute, you see about 1-2 'shooting stars' (meteors). The Milky Way, Pinwheel Galaxy, and Andromeda are easy to see as bright clouds over Times Square. You forget to look at your watch and hours go by in silence.

It's sad how few nowadays experience this. Most Americans on the East Coast and major cities everywhere on Earth have no idea what the night sky truly looks like because of light pollution. There are a few maps and images from outer space which shows where the night skies are washed out and where they're still unadulterated.

Drive out to the areas where the pollution is low. You owe it to yourself. I always feel spiritually rejuvenated. It's humbling salve for a news junkie like me who gets down reading about all the idiocy in the world.

Fantastic article. Wish I can be there at Starmus!

Must. Go. There. Before leaving Earth forever.

would like to go there, and see the nightlight under a truly dark sky, so dark, the light is enough to read, were I able to take my vision off the the wonder above.

The Canary Islands certainly are a beautiful place to stay.

But you don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows.

And you don't need astronomer to know which way the solar wind blows.

If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years, how man would marvel and stare. -- Emerson
See more at: SentimentalStargazer.com

Interesting article in the 'light' (read "dark") of what has happened in the State of Hawaii w.r.t. the Mauna Kea Observatory's prospects for a continued modern, scientific future. Bye, Bye Hawaii. Hello....uh.....several locations more welcoming, and less hostile, IMO.

With all the added lights from the growing number of cruise ship trips, beaming smart-phone screens in every tourist's hand, and other illuminated vestiges of an encroaching populace; isn't that kind of going to spoil the reason why everyone thought they were flocking there to avoid?

While growing up in south Idaho, we would get to sleep outside in the summer. The sky was amazing. As you know there are not many places anyone can experience this wonderful experience. I miss it so much. I dream to go somewhere to see this again. I want my grown children to see this. There is nothing so incredible to see with your own eyes.

Oh this is a wonderful place! The Europeans know it well but many stick to the beaches, hotels and such. It's worthwhile for the more intrepid to get far off the beaten trail. Spain is a marvelous place and these islands are easily maneuvered but it is far away for most Americans. Maybe that's better...

Tourists pay good money to travel somewhere to see the stars that everyone used to see. Yet many places in the U.S., controlling nighttime light pollution is seen as some expensive nutty-fringe idea.

I guess this is where I'll move to after the election.

To say that Columbus "discovered" the Canary Islands in route to the discovery of America is a historical error. In 1492 Columbus just stopped there, to get water and food. The Canary Islands were "discovered" much earlier, and the conquest took place between 1402 (Lanzarote) and 1496 (Tenerife), first by Maciot Betehncourt, a normand, and after that by spaniards. The guanches were the victims of this atrocious conquest. Please, get the historical facts right.