7 destinations for stargazers
In some places, the stars twinkle beautifully at night. That is, where the sky is darker than anywhere else. From the island to the desert: stargazers get their money here.
Photo: Chris Legat (@Unsplash)
Mon and Njørde Islands, Denmark
The smaller islands of Møn and Nyord are among the darkest in Northern Europe. In Copenhagen, for example, it is 100 times brighter than here. This earned the two islands in the Baltic Sea a wonderful distinction: they were the first regions in Northern Europe to hold this title. Dark Sky Park and the Dark Sky Community. The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) in Tucson/Arizona awards so-called dark sky destinations worldwide.
Photo: Visit Denmark
What you watch at night on Moon Island, south of Copenhagen, will inspire you. The otherwise dark sky suddenly became lit with silver. The stars shine like millions of diamonds in all their radiance. The Milky Way is at your fingertips on late summer nights. In the fall, the Andromeda Galaxy approaches – like a small misty cloud. Although it is located 2.4 million light-years away, it can be seen here with the naked eye!
Star Park Westhavelland, Germany
Search the sky for wonders at night, and enjoy nature during the day. This is how it is announced Westhavelland Star . Park in northeastern Germany. Because the area of 1,380 square kilometers is not only attractive to amateur astronomers. It consists of the Westhavelland Nature Park and the Schollene Community – both of which were designated as light conservation areas and were named Germany’s first star park in 2014.
Here it is much darker at night than in very few areas of Germany. This is despite the fact that the city of Berlin is not far away. You don’t have to look up at the night sky alone; There are guided nights outings, photography workshops, star-studded lectures, or moonlight kayaking tours.
Kiva, Portugal
Big Bear, Little Bear, Cassiopeia or Zodiac Signs Leo, Virgo and Libra – depending on the season, constellations appear in the sky above kiva In the middle of the Portuguese Alentejo visible as a planetarium lesson. The area around the large Alquiva Lake District is located on the border with Spain on the Rota Dark Sky Road – the Dark Sky Road. Many companies (accommodations, restaurants, tour guides and other tourist service providers) gathered there to make observing the sky and stars attractive in this area, which is especially dark at night. Astrophotography workshops, night kayaking trips, and guided tours are offered, where professional equipment for stargazing, such as telescopes, is provided.
Brecon Beacons, Wales
It’s the darkest spot in all of Great Britain: on a clear night you can relax Brecon Beacons National Park In South Wales discover the Milky Way, meteor showers and even star nebulae in the sky with the naked eye. This ensured that the park was declared as the fifth dark sky destination worldwide. For astrophotographers, the ruins of the Lanthony Priory Abbey are a particularly photogenic precursor.
Atacama Desert, Chile
You are also very close to the sky in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, on the border with Bolivia. After all, it is the highest desert in the world. Valle del Elqui is located on its southern edge. It is famous for 320 days of sunshine per year and impressively clear skies. His great moment begins at night: the valley reveals an incomparable view of the sky. Various observatories allow you to get a little closer to the universe and its secrets. Astronomy friends come for example in Kankana Observatory With its powerful telescopes at their expense.
Pic de Midi, France
The highest observatory in Europe is located on Pick Do Midi At an altitude of 2877 meters in the Pyrenees. It has been since 1873. Today it houses the largest reflecting telescope in France. At the beginning of the 18th century, people looked at the sky from above here. Later telescopes allowed mapping of the sun and planets. Even today, the summit is the luck of many stargazers.
The observatory located on the Pic du Midi.
Photo: PD
When there is no cloud cover obscuring the view, Pic du Midi is an ideal location for observing the sky, because there is practically no light pollution here. Astronomy workshops and guided tours are offered through the planetarium. Just getting there by cable car is amazing.
Sahara, Morocco
The first and only private Observatory In association with a hotel in Morocco run by German Fritz Gerd Koring. It was the dark and clear skies over the desert that inspired him to open an observatory here in North Africa equipped with several modern GPS telescopes. From the hotel’s 500-square-meter rooftop terrace, built like a kasbah, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Europe’s out-of-sight southern sky towers.
At 300 days a year there is the best chance of doing it on crystal clear nights without any light pollution (the nearest village is 7 km away). That’s why professional astronomers gather here again and again. Some even “park” their own telescopes there and attach them to their homes.
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