Kosmos

This spring, two separate meteor showers will light up the night sky. Observe them here!

out in the dark

In Germany, a Sternenpark (star park) is a thinly populated area where the night sky is particularly dark – the perfect place to observe a cosmic spectacle. There are three official parks, one each in the Havelland, Eifel and Rhön regions.

close to the stars

Europe’s most famous dark-sky area extends around the Pic du Midi (2877 meters high) in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. There’s an astronomical observatory at the summit as well as a place for hobby astronomers to spend the night.

dwarfed by nature

In the foreground the famous mesas, in the background the glittering night sky: In Utah, a U.S. state that’s very popular among astro tourists, the International Dark-Sky Association has nine designated dark-sky parks.

Google, the Smart car, the iMac, Hong Kong International Airport and the cult film The Big Lebowski all turn 20 this year. Flying high in the charts in 1998: “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy” by The Offspring, “Frozen” by Madonna and “Big Big World” by Emilia.

Before they conquered Beijing in 1644, the rulers of the Qing dynasty had already created a miniature version of the Forbidden City in the country’s northeast. Although twelve times smaller, its inimitable design com­bined elements from Manchuria, Mongolia and China. In addition, the buildings that make up the Shenyang Imperial Palace, now a museum, are based on nomads’ yurts.

en.sypm.org.cn

In the past ten years, the number of visitors to Frankfurt has increased by 68 percent. In October, even more people will be arriving for the Frankfurt Book Fair. So it’s a good idea to plan ahead for your visit to this lively city: As the name suggests, the Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport is just minutes from the airport. Its casual atmosphere makes it perfect for leaf­ing through those books you just bought.

frankfurtairport.place.hyatt.com