Oni koji ne poznaju astronomiju, zainteresirat će se za sve ono što se nalazi na našem nebu. Oni koji vole lijepa mjesta u prirodi saznat će za neke lokacije koje su im možda nepoznate, ali koje će zasigurno poželjeti posjetiti. I poželjet će uživati na tim lokacijama i u noćno vrijeme. A oni koji još nisu doživjeli noćno nebo, poželjet će pronaći tamne kutke za nove doživljaje. I nadamo se da će ovaj projekt potaknuti javnost da što aktivnije utječe na one odgovorne za javnu rasvjetu kako bi shvatili koliko je nužno lošu javnu rasvjetu zamijeniti s ekološki prihvatljivijom rasvjetom. I kako je nepotrebno da javna rasvjeta svijetli tijekom cijele noći i tako negativno utječe na naš prirodni okoliš, na životinjski svijet. Na koncu, beskrajna rasvjeta negativno utječe i na čovjeka, kojem je potreban pravi mrak za kvalitetan san. I nebo sa što manje svjetlosnog onečišćenja za istinski doživljaj prirode. Ovaj izuzetan projekt, uz sve svoje ljepote, ima potencijal da aktivira mnogo toga pozitivnog u ljudima, u njihovoj svijesti, u njihovim nazorima i u njihovu odnosu te ophođenju s prirodnim okolišem.
(Iz recenzije, Ante Radonića, popularizatora astronomije)


Listam ovaj impozantni slijed zemaljsko-svemirskih veduta, gledam fotke koje je Branko izdvojio iz svojih putovanja da ih podijeli s nama, a iz misli ne mogu odagnati jedan drugi naslov. Našu prvu astronomsku knjigu „Naše nebo”, autora Otona Kučere, to prvo hrvatsko pisano ushićenje noćnim nebom. Ova je monografija hommage našem Otonu Kučeri i svim starim majstorima koji su promišljali i slavili zvjezdano nebo u umjetnosti i filozofiji. Oton i Branko nas zovu da izađemo van i divimo se noćnom nebu, da skupimo hrabrost i suočimo se s beskonačnim. To njihovo noćno nebo, doduše, upravo nestaje, guši ga jagma za modernošću, jagma za moći nad prirodom, jagma za potpuno kontroliranim svijetom. Naš se život kreće prema svijetu „čeličnih špilja”. Branko je izašao van, za sve nas. Otišao je tražiti kutke Hrvatske gdje još žive krijesnice i noćni leptiri i u njihovu je društvu bilježio i starim fotonima slikao ostatke „našega neba”. Uživajmo u tim noćnim pejzažima nestajućeg noćnog neba i razmišljajmo o tome koliko je važno izaći iz te naše tehnološke čahure, gledati nebo i suočiti se s nekoliko beskonačnosti. Beskonačnim svemirom, ali i beskonačnom ljudskom bahatošću, koja radi baš sve da se naš pogled u noćno nebo ugasi, da Svjetlonoša pobijedi. Ova je monografija inat pojedinca koji na to ne pristaje, onog koji ne prihvaća da se veličina čovjeka mjeri u megavatima i luksima, već po razumu i poletu srca.
(Iz recenzije Korada Korlevića, astronoma i voditelja Zvjezdarnice Višnjan)


Brankove astrofotografije su iznimne. U današnje ubrzano, etiketirano i materijalizirano doba, doba u kojem se ljudi povezuju raznoraznim uređajima, mrežama i aplikacijama, često smo zapravo svjedoci površnosti i plitkosti takvih oblika navodne povezanosti. Međutim, gledajući Brankove uratke nije moguće ne diviti se im se. Njegove fotografije noćnog neba imaju i pozivaju na svojevrsnu dubinu postojanja i povezivanja. Doživljaj galaktičnog prostranstva našeg Mliječnog puta, ukomponiranog u mraku netaknutih dijelova prirode, zajedno s, primjerice, malenom kamenom kapelicom koja stoljećima odolijeva prolaznosti, odaje note simfonije vječnosti. Milijarde zvijezda, mnogobrojne zvjezdane sustave s pripadajućim skrivenim planetima i mjesecima, i jednu ljudsku vremenitu tvorevinu, nastalu na trećem kamenčiću naše zvijezde, kao plod znoja, zadihanosti i žuljeva, uklopiti u jednu poruku – ostavlja bez riječi. Imati oko za nešto takvo, i mogućnost to ovjekovječiti, jest Brankov dar. To je dar Svemira njemu, a onda preko njega, to je i kozmički dar svima nama. Biti dionikom toga, kroz uživanje i dijeljenje Brankova djela, uistinu jest nešto posebno i nadahnjujuće.
(Iz recenzije Saše Zavrtnika, Geotehnički fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu)


Već prvo listanje ove fotomonografije podsjetilo me na riječi poznatog američkog pjesnika i filozofa R. W. Emersona: Nebo je beskonačna umjetnička galerija iznad nas. Uistinu, fotografije Branka Nađa pomažu nam progledati i ugledati ono što bi inače većini nas ostalo teško dostupno. Baš poput impresionističkih slikara koji su nastojali uhvatiti promjene kvalitete svjetla tijekom dana, Branko, stoički žrtvujući noći, umješno hvata zvijezde, poput neumornih prosaca koji jednako strpljivo udvaraju Sjevernjači, ostavljajući za sobom tragove od kojih zastaje dah.
(Iz recenzije Ives Vodanović Lukić, geografkinje i povjesničarke umjetnosti, Institut za turizam)

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Those who do not know astronomy will be interested in everything that is in our sky. Those who like beautiful places in nature will find out about some locations that may be unknown to them, but which they will definitely want to visit. And they will want to enjoy these locations at night too.
And those who have not yet experienced the night sky will want to find dark corners for new experiences.
We hope that this project will encourage the public to influence those responsible for public lighting as actively as possible. To understand how necessary it is to replace bad public lighting with more environmentally friendly lighting. And how unnecessary it is for public lighting to shine throughout the night, thus negatively affecting our natural environment and animal life.
Finally, endless lighting has a negative effect on a person who needs real darkness for quality sleep. And the sky with as little light pollution as possible for a true experience of nature.
This exceptional project, with all its beauty, has the potential to activate a lot of positive things in people, in their consciousness, in their views and in their relationship and dealings with the natural environment.
(From a review by Ante Radonić, popularizer of astronomy)


As I’m scrolling through this imposing book of terrestrial and space views, I’m looking at the photos that Branko selected from his travels to share with us, and I can’t get one title out of my mind. Our first astronomical book “Our Sky”, authored by Oton Kučera, the first Croatian written delight of the night sky.
This monograph is a tribute to our Oton Kučera and all the old masters who contemplated and celebrated the starry sky in art and philosophy.
Oton and Branko call us to go outside and admire the night sky, to gather courage and face the infinite. Unfortunately, that night sky of theirs, is just disappearing, it is suffocated by the passion for modernity, the passion for power over nature, the passion for a completely controlled world. Our life is moving towards the world of “steel caves”.
Branko went outside for all of us. He went looking for corners of Croatia where fireflies and moths still live, and in their company he recorded and painted the remains of “our sky” with old photons.
Let’s enjoy those nightscapes of the disappearing night sky and think about how important it is to get out of that technological cocoon of ours, look at the sky and face a few infinities. The infinite universe, but also infinite human arrogance, which does everything to extinguish our gaze into the night sky, so that the light bearer wins.
This monograph is a spite of an individual who does not agree to that, the one who does not accept that the greatness of a man is measured in megawatts and lux, but by reason and passion of the heart.
(From a review by Korado Korlević, astronomer and head of the Višnjan Observatory)


Branko’s astrophotographs are exceptional. In today’s fast-paced, labelled and materialized age, the age in which people connect with various devices, networks and applications, we often actually witness the superficiality and shallowness of such forms of supposed connection. However, looking at Branko’s works, it is impossible not to admire them. His photographs of the night sky have and call for a kind of depth of existence and connection.
The experience of the galactic expanse of our Milky Way, composed in the darkness of untouched parts of nature, together with, for example, a small stone chapel that has resisted transience for centuries, reveals the notes of the symphony of eternity. To combine billions of stars, numerous star systems with associated hidden planets and moons, and one human temporal creation, created on the third pebble of our star, as a result of sweat, shortness of breath and blisters, into one message – leaves one speechless. Having an eye for something like that, and the ability to immortalize it, is Branko’s gift. It is a gift of the Universe to him, and then through him, it is also a cosmic gift to all of us. Being part of it, through enjoying and sharing Branko’s work, is truly something special and inspiring.
(From a review by Saša Zavrtnik, Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering, University of Zagreb)


The first glance through this photo-monograph reminded me of the words of the famous American poet and philosopher R.W. Emerson: The sky is the ultimate art gallery right above us. Indeed, Branko Nađ’s photographs help us to see and perceive what would otherwise be difficult for most of us to access. Just like the impressionist painters who tried to capture the changes in the quality of light throughout the day, Branko, while stoically sacrifices his nights, skillfully captures the stars patiently courting the North Star like tireless suitors, leaving breathtaking trails in their wake.
(From a review by Ives Vodanović Lukić, geographer and art historian, Institute for Tourism)