Two unique "star reserves" were opened this year in Germany: Sternenpark in the vicinity of the town of Gülpe in the territory of the Westhafelland National Park and the Rön Biosphere Reserve, located on the border of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia. It offers stunning views of the starry sky, clean from smog and not "polluted" by artificial lighting from the Earth. There are 28 such zones in the world. The breathtaking beauty of the night sky over Germany received international recognition this year from the International Dark-Sky Association...