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Dark Sky Parks around the World
Warrumbungle National Park
Situated in the central west slopes of New South Wales is Australia’s only dark sky park, Warrumbungle. The park has served as a dark sky park since July 2016. Its crystal-clear night skies and high altitude make it a natural, educational, and astronomical heritage site in the southern half of the earth. Tourists can use Australia’s largest optical telescope within the park boundaries to view the auroras(极光)，the Milky Way, and faint shooting stars.
Sark
Sark is a Channel Island near the coast of Normandy under the protection of the UK. It was the World’s First Dark Sky Island set up in January 2011. Its historical and cultural blend attracts over 40,000 tourists annually. With no motor vehicles and public lighting on the island, there is an exceptional view of the dark skies. A rich Milky Way is visible in the dark night skies from the shores of the island.
Pic du Midi de Bigorre
Pic du Midi de Bigorre in France was designated as a dark sky park in December 2013 making it the second largest dark sky park in the world. The park covers 3.112 square kilometers spread across the Pyrenees National Park and UNESCO’s World Heritage site, Pyrenees-Mont Perdu. The park attracts over one hundred star watchers every year. The Observatory Midi-Pyrenees, which was built in 1870, is one of the world’s highest museums at a height of 2,877 meters above sea level.
Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon
Ramon Crater is a unique 1,100-square-kilometer nature reserve located in the Negev Desert in Israel. In 2017, the Ramon Crater became the first designated dark sky park in the Middle East. Its location, rough climate, and forbidding landscape that are characteristic of the Negev have largely defeated historical attempts for human settlement, making it a great place to view the night skies. Stargazers usually camp in the desert to have an uninterrupted view of the stars, planets, and the Milky Way.
21. Which park serves as a heritage site for astronomy?
A. Sark.
B. Pic du Midi de Bigorre.
C. Warrumbungle National Park.
D. Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon.
22. What do we know about Sark from the passage?
A. Not a single car runs there.
B. It was an island belonging to Normandy.
C. The Milky Way can only be seen there.
D. Visitors like to stay on the island in groups.
23. What makes it difficult for humans to live in Ramon Crater?
A. High altitude. B. The large area.
C. Geographical conditions. D. Cultural features.
