Poloniny dark sky park
The best place to observe the night sky in Slovakia.
On December 3, 2010, the territory of the Polonin National Park, including the cadastral areas of the municipalities of Kolonica, Ladomirov, Klenová, Kalná Roztoka and Ruská Volová, was declared the „Poloniny Dark Sky Park“. Thanks to a very sparse population and a minimum of artificial lighting, it is possible to observe the sky without disturbing light smog., It is the darkest area in Slovakia.
Night observation of the stars
The observatory of the Vihorlat Observatory with the second largest astronomical telescope in Slovakia (diameter 1 meter) is located on Kolonický sedlo. It consists of the main building built in 1999 and a planetarium from 2012. In the observatory it is possible to order the opportunity to participate in night observation of stars on weekdays. where the largest known meteorite landed in Europe (Kněhyňský meteorite weighing 280 kg). The meteorite is now housed in a museum in Vienna. According to Polonin, it is named asteroid No. 22469, which has been called „Poloniny“ since 2012.
