/ The Montsec Astronomical Park opened in 2009. The area, in Lleida, a province of Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia, has been used by amateur astronomers taking advantage of its dark skies. // Lucía Benavides for NPR LLEIDA, Spain — The first thing you see when you get to the Montsec Astronomical Park is a big dark metal dome: the planetarium. Behind it are three smaller white domes, housing various telescopes. Farther up a bumpy road is the Montsec Observatory. All this space gadgetry seems out of place among the earthy mountain surroundings, but the area — which has some of the darkest skies in Catalonia — has been frequented by amateur astronomers for decades.