The island of the stars calls La Palma, and in April 2025, it became the epicenter for science, star and music. I was there for Starmus, a festival that brings together the winners of the Nobel Prize, astronauts, musicians and science enthusiasts for several days of conversations, performances and cosmic inspiration. But nothing prepared me for the moment I first looked at the night sky.
Standing on the terrace on the roof of our hotel, in the beautiful city or Los Llanos de Aridane, it was amazed. The stars did not shine, they burned. Despite being far from the main sites of observation of heaven, heaven on top was a dazzling dome of the light of the stars. I was looking for my phone, waiting for a granulated blur. But to my surprise, the photos captured a sky by exploding with stars And mountain silhouettes distant recorded against the night sky.
Starmus La Palma was a truly special experience, one that surrounded me with stars both up and by my side. It was inspiring to walk among some of the brightest minds in the world and the greatest dreamers, all gathered on an island that feels as alive as the universe that we celebrate.
La Palma – The island of the stars
The clear skies and the lack of light pollution in La Palma, or Isla Bonita (the beautiful island), in the Canary Islands, on the northwest coast of Africa, make it a refuge for astronomy lovers. In 2007, the island became the first stellar light reserve in the world, a protected area committed to preserving the quality of the Night sky.
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“The requirements for a stellar light reserve specifically add Starlight Foundation website.
The great telescope, the largest unique optical telescope in the world, stands as a sentry of scientific discovery about Roque de los Muchos, the highest point of the island to around 7,900 feet (2,426 meters).
One of the most striking parts of our visit to Roque de los Muchachos, apart from the quite alien landscape while we drove through the mountain, was to see the Array Observatory of the Cherenkov telescope (CTAO) take shape. Still under construction, this next general installation will explore some of the most explosive phenomena in the gamma rays Universe. Ctao aims to unravel the mysteries behind the cosmic parts, Supermasive black holes And alone Dark matterAccording to him Official CTAO website. It will be the first observatory or your child to sacrifice open access to your data. “As an international observatory, CTAO knows that sharing our knowledge only strengthens us,” says a statement on the site.
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The CTAO will work in two places: one in the northern hemisphere, here in La Palma and the other in the Chilean desert in Atacama. Together, they hosts More than 60 telescopesmaking it the largest and powerful ray observatory in Land. The first telescopes are expected to be implemented in the coming years, with complete operations planned by the End of the decade.
Palma eruption
Attend
La Palma not only plays a pioneer role in astronomybut also services such as a raw reminder or the volatility of the Earth. In 2021, the island was shaken by a dramatic volcanic eruption that changed the landscape forever.
The Old Summit Volcan in La Palma exploded from September 19 to December 13, 2021, with more than 20,000 earthquakes Which takes place in the days and the week before the eruption. More than 7,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Lava swallowed more than 1,300 residences, covered roads and farms, and interrupted thousands of lives. However, the spirit of the island was broken.
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The resistance of La Palma lives in each reconstructed home, each replanting garden and each person who chose to stay after the eruption. Starmus La Palma honored that spirit, not only when he returned to this precious island and place of birth of Starmus, but dedicating his presence to revitalization, commitment and hope.
Starmus La Palma – where science meets sound
Starmus La Palma was nothing short or extraordinary. Celebrated from April 25 to 28, the festival brought together more than 45 speakers, including theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, former astronauts Chris Hadfield and Kathryn Thornton, and the primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall. But it was not only great names. It was great ideas and significant conversations.
One of the most memorable speeches came from Goodall herself.
“There is this indomitable spirit that people have,” said Goodall his main speech. “Many people who address projects that seem impossible, the people who won surrender, people who bring the nature back to a place that we have destroyed.”
Goodall praised scientists who use our incredible intellect to create technology that allows us to live in harmony with the natural world, for example, alternative energies.
“Nature will return,” said Goodall, a simple but powerful message of resistance and hope. His words deeply resonated with the stage. In La Palma, where the 2021 volcanic eruption devastated entire communities, the recovery signs are now everywhere. Green outbreaks are pushing through volcanic soil, and the new life is slowly recovering the landscape. Goodall’s message was simply metaphorical here: it was visible, growing and real.
We could make the sky invisible to the ground if we are not careful
Xavier Barcoons, general director of the European Observatory of the South
Meanwhile, Xavier Barcoons, general director of the European Observatory of the South, gave a revealing talk about the importance of dark skies and how Great telescopes They are changing our vision of the universe.
“We could make the sky invisible to the ground if we are not careful,” said Barcoons his conference.
The Barcones also highlighted the vulnerability of the beautiful location of observation of the sky of the world, the Summit of the Paranal Mount, the Observatories del Sur Europeans (ESO) Vy Garm Telescope (VLT), which is located in an A-Legrut survey project.
Read more: The world’s largest telescope threatened by the contamination of the light of the renewable energy project
Also overwhelmed was Alonso’s talk about Hacking AI. In equal and scary parts, his words painted an image of a future in which AI’s promise must be balanced with response control.
While astrophysic and SETI The Pioneer Jill talked about the search for intelligent extraterrestrial technology, how we do it and what we are looking for great to answer the ODE question “Are we alone?”
“It is a very old question, it involves us, our place in the universe, how we became and how we could evolve in the future,” Tarter said. “And I think it’s extraordinarily important.”
A look or tomorrow
Through the week, speakers raised critical questions about the pollution of heaven, satellite debris and our changing atmosphere. What does it mean to protect the night sky? Should it be considered a human right?
Looking at the pristine heavens of La Palma, it is difficult to believe that such a point of view can disappear. And yet that is exactly what many fear. Starmus’s message was clear: we need a global administration to safeguard this natural wonder. I see the stars differently now. Not only as points of light, but as fragile beacons. The night sky connects us all, and it is ours to protect.
As our flight took off the palm, the island was left behind: its black volcanic ridges, its Verker forests and a sky so impossible full of stars. I felt changed. Not only inspired, but stressed. Back home, the street lamps compete with the stars. Life returns to its usual buzz. But something in me has changed.
I get to Starmus for science and music. I fell in love with heaven, science and the incredible island of La Palma.
