{"id":18164,"date":"2021-12-17T12:19:32","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T19:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/?p=18164"},"modified":"2023-08-23T23:48:27","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T06:48:27","slug":"fefo-bouvier-monthly-star","status":"publish","type":"darksky_news","link":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/news\/fefo-bouvier-monthly-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Fefo Bouvier: Soul of a stargazer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><i><span>Each month DarkSky International features a DarkSky Advocate from the worldwide network of volunteers working to protect the night. This month we\u2019re highlighting the work of Fefo Bouvier in Uruguay.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Meet IDA Advocate Fefo Bouvier\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/37Xw3lZ6hFI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span>On the east coast of South America, there is a place where giant sand dunes meet the crashing waves of the Atlantic. Climb to the top of the highest dune and the rocky, desert landscape stretches down to the water with views in every direction. At night, the waves glow a brilliant turquoise with bioluminescence and the stars shine brightly in a dark sky. It isn\u2019t difficult to see why this place is called Cerro de la Buena Vista \u2014 \u201cGood View Hill\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>This dune field is astrophotographer Fefo Bouvier\u2019s favorite place to take pictures of the night sky in his home country, Uruguay.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-18166\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_de_la_buena_vista_fefo_bouvier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_de_la_buena_vista_fefo_bouvier.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_de_la_buena_vista_fefo_bouvier-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_de_la_buena_vista_fefo_bouvier-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_de_la_buena_vista_fefo_bouvier-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_de_la_buena_vista_fefo_bouvier-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_de_la_buena_vista_fefo_bouvier-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_de_la_buena_vista_fefo_bouvier-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption pt-4 mx-5 md:mx-0 !mb-0 !mt-0\">The Milky Way rising above a glowing bioluminescent ocean at Cerro de la Buena Vista, Rocha, Uruguay. Photo by Fefo Bouvier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span>\u201cTo go there, you have to drive like four or five hours from Montevideo, our capital city. And then you will get to this little town by the coast, which is called Barra de Valizas. You have to cross a stream (Arroyo Valizas), and you can ask one of the local fishers to take you across in their boat,\u201d says Fefo.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>\u201cOnce you\u2019re on the other side, you have to walk through the dunes. It\u2019s a very lonely landscape. You feel like you\u2019re in another world \u2013 there are no more people close by. And wherever you look, you see the ocean or the sand dunes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Fefo says he has been to Cerro de la Buena Vista in every season and it\u2019s one of the best places for stargazing in the country. And he should know \u2014 his current project,&nbsp;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.miralasestrellas.com\/\"><span>Mir\u00e1 las Estrellas<\/span><\/a><span>&nbsp;(\u201cLook at the Stars\u201d), is documenting the best night-sky spots for stargazing and astrophotography across Uruguay. The project received funding from the Fondo Concursable para la Cultura (cultural fund) of the Ministerio de Educaci\u00f3n y Cultura, Uruguay\u2019s ministry for education and culture.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-18167\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_catedral_fefo_bouvier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_catedral_fefo_bouvier.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_catedral_fefo_bouvier-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_catedral_fefo_bouvier-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_catedral_fefo_bouvier-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_catedral_fefo_bouvier-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_catedral_fefo_bouvier-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/cerro_catedral_fefo_bouvier-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption pt-4 mx-5 md:mx-0 !mb-0 !mt-0\">The Milky Way center over Cerro Catedral, Maldonado, highest point in Uruguay. Photo by Fefo Bouvier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span>For the project, Fefo travels around Uruguay visiting, photographing, and writing about the best dark-sky spots. He also hosts astrophotography workshops and is creating a database of best night-sky locations.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>The criteria for categorizing these sites as the \u201cbest\u201d landscapes for stargazing are:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span>they are rated \u2264 4 on the&nbsp;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/our-work\/conservation\/idsp\/become-a-dark-sky-place\/sky-quality-survey\/\"><span>Bortle Scale<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>the predominance of the natural landscape<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>the ease of access to the site&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>how safe it is to spend the night there<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span>sites that deserve attention for their cultural, archaeological, or heritage value<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-18168\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Gemi?nidas-2021-APOD-Fefo-Bouvier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18168\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption pt-4 mx-5 md:mx-0 !mb-0 !mt-0\">Fefo&rsquo;s photo Geminids of the South was recently featured on <a href=\"https:\/\/apod.nasa.gov\/apod\/ap211216.html\">Astronomy Picture of the Day<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Fefo tells me that light-pollution is bad in Uruguay, even in the small town of Colonia del Sacramento where he lives. Though Colonia only has a population of a little over 26,000, it lies just across the R\u00edo de la Plata from Buenos Aires, the capital of neighboring Argentina.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>\u201cIt\u2019s not good because of Buenos Aires. When the clouds are really low, the light pollution of Buenos Aires is right here. Even though it\u2019s 40 kilometers (25mi) away, we can see a lot of light pollution. And in my town, the government installed white LED lighting,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-18169\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/parque_salto_del_penitente_fefo_bouvier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/parque_salto_del_penitente_fefo_bouvier.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/parque_salto_del_penitente_fefo_bouvier-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/parque_salto_del_penitente_fefo_bouvier-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/parque_salto_del_penitente_fefo_bouvier-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/parque_salto_del_penitente_fefo_bouvier-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/parque_salto_del_penitente_fefo_bouvier-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/parque_salto_del_penitente_fefo_bouvier-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption pt-4 mx-5 md:mx-0 !mb-0 !mt-0\">The Milky Way rising over Uruguay&rsquo;s highest waterfall at Parque Salto del Penitente, Lavalleja, Uruguay. Photo by Fefo Bouvier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Like so many dark-sky advocates that I speak to, Fefo was introduced to the night sky by a family member \u2014 in his case, a family member he never even got a chance to meet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>\u201cMy grandfather died before I was born. He was very enthusiastic about astronomy, and he was an optician. When I was a teenager, I discovered a bunch of telescopes and binoculars in my grandmother\u2019s attic. She was very generous to let me play with them \u2014 she might have been very attached to those things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Fefo started using his grandfather\u2019s telescopes and learning about astronomy. By age 14, he had become the go-to astronomy expert among his friends and family, and started a blog about astronomy and celestial events.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>\u201cPeople have told me I remind them of my grandfather. He used to take his telescopes to the local school and give astronomy lessons,\u201d Fefo says. \u201cSometimes I think I might have been reborn in his soul.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-18170\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/quebradas_del_norte_fefo_bouvier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/quebradas_del_norte_fefo_bouvier.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/quebradas_del_norte_fefo_bouvier-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/quebradas_del_norte_fefo_bouvier-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/quebradas_del_norte_fefo_bouvier-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/quebradas_del_norte_fefo_bouvier-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/quebradas_del_norte_fefo_bouvier-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/quebradas_del_norte_fefo_bouvier-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption pt-4 mx-5 md:mx-0 !mb-0 !mt-0\">The Zodiacal Light and the Milky Way in northern Uruguay. Photo by Fefo Bouvier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Fefo joined the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/our-work\/grassroots-advocacy\/chapters\/find-a-chapter\/\"><span>DarkSky<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/who-we-are\/advocates\/\"><span> Advocate network<\/span><\/a><span>\u00a0in April 2021 after hearing about it during\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/what-we-do\/events\/dark-sky-week\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"13560\">International Dark Sky Week<\/a>. Now, he is using his astrophotography, social media, and increasing national press coverage in Uruguay to draw attention to the issue of night-sky protection there.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Once the Mir\u00e1 las Estrellas database of dark-sky locations is complete, Fefo\u2019s next goal is to advocate for new dark-sky protection laws in Uruguay. He has his eye on one particular town not far from the dune field, which he reckons is the only populated place in the country without street lights. It\u2019s already popular for stargazing and Fefo says many residents there are interested in dark-sky protection, but the town does not have a formal dark-sky policy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>\u201cMy aim is to give more formality to that kind of law there. So that there\u2019s no future where someone decides to put street lights there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-18171\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sierras_de_mahoma_fefo_bouvier.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sierras_de_mahoma_fefo_bouvier.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sierras_de_mahoma_fefo_bouvier-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sierras_de_mahoma_fefo_bouvier-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sierras_de_mahoma_fefo_bouvier-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sierras_de_mahoma_fefo_bouvier-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sierras_de_mahoma_fefo_bouvier-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/darksky.org\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sierras_de_mahoma_fefo_bouvier-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption pt-4 mx-5 md:mx-0 !mb-0 !mt-0\">Panorama of the Milky Way at Sierras de Mahoma, San Jos&eacute;, Uruguay. Photo by Fefo Bouvier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span>I ask Fefo what continues to motivate him to advocate for dark sky protection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>\u201cBeing out \u2014 most of the time alone \u2014 in the darkness has given me a humble attitude toward how to be here in this world. Being able to understand our place in the universe just by seeing a dark sky \u2014 I think it\u2019s a very great experience to have in this lifetime. And I want everyone to experience that at least once.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i><span>Find out more about the Mir\u00e1 las Estrellas project and Uruguay\u2019s best dark-sky locations at&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.miralasestrellas.com\/\"><i><span>miralasestrellas.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>&nbsp;and follow Fefo on Instagram&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/fefobouvier\/\"><i><span>@fefobouvier<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Astrophotographer Fefo Bouvier explores Cerro de la Buena Vista in Uruguay, documenting it as a prime stargazing location for his project &#8220;Mir\u00e1 las Estrellas.&#8221; He aims to create a database of dark-sky spots and advocate for dark-sky protection laws in Uruguay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":18165,"template":"","categories":[1287,633],"tags":[97,839,589,841,836,116,429,843,840,837,681,842,838],"advocacy_type":[123,285],"events_terms":[],"locations_terms":[],"admin_issue":[],"class_list":["post-18164","darksky_news","type-darksky_news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-monthly-star","category-news","tag-astrophotography","tag-barra-de-valizas","tag-bortle-scale","tag-buenos-aires","tag-cerro-de-la-buena-vista","tag-darksky-advocate","tag-fefo-bouvier","tag-international-dark-sky-week","tag-mira-las-estrellas","tag-montevideo","tag-monthly-star","tag-parque-salto-del-penitente","tag-rocha","advocacy_type-advocacy","advocacy_type-monthly-star"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/darksky_news\/18164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/darksky_news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/darksky_news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18164"},{"taxonomy":"advocacy_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/advocacy_type?post=18164"},{"taxonomy":"events_terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/events_terms?post=18164"},{"taxonomy":"locations_terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/locations_terms?post=18164"},{"taxonomy":"admin_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/darksky.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/admin_issue?post=18164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}