On 28th October, the Escuela de Engenerias Industriales de Extremadura (Extremadura School of Industrial Engineering) installed, in the Aldeia do Xisto of Fajão, a photometer that measures the brightness and transparency of the sky, under the auspices of the Globaltur_Euroace project, part of the POCTEP - Spain-Portugal Cross Border Cooperation Programme, promoted in partnership with ADXTUR - Aldeias do Xisto Development Agency.
According to Juan Félix Gonzalez, Professor at the Escuela de Engenerias Industriales de Extremadura, this device "measures the temperature of the celestial veil" which is "a way of determining variables" that allows us to "predict what the sky will be like" and whether or not there are suitable conditions for observing astronomical phenomena.
The Globaltur_Euroace project supports economic development through tourism resources and cross-border cooperation in EUROACE, with the aim of revitalising and developing rural areas in a sustainable way, taking advantage of local resources. The project is expected to contribute to EUROACE - Euro Alentejo, Centre and Extremadura Region as a joint international destination, positioning it as a scientific and tourist destination of choice for starry sky observation.
The photometer will also enrich the extensive technical and scientific work in the field of space sciences and astronomy already carried out in the territory, which has its epicentre in the Pampilhosa da Serra Space Observatory, an infrastructure integrated in the European and worldwide space monitoring network located in the village of Porto da Balsa.
