Best Places in the World to Search the Heavens

Even if you are not activating in the field of astronomy, you must have that serene feeling when you look up and see all those stars that flood the night sky. Oh wait, you may not be able to. Living in urban areas do you a disservice because of the light pollution. You may be able to see some of the stars, but you cannot really enjoy the view. The light from the cities block that. Of course, if you live in the countryside, you may be lucky, but not all of us are, which is why I found a bunch of places around the world where you can see everything. Do you know that spiral arm of the galaxy that you see with the naked eye?

If you have never seen it, then you ought to. It is indeed one of nature’s best shows. Here is where you can find a front-row seat.

The Sahara Desert

It is not surprising that you can see the whole sky in the Sahara desert. It is, after all, the largest hot desert in the world, and it lacks that city light I was mentioning earlier. As a result, the sky is as dark as it can possibly be, which gives you an excellent opportunity to observe everything when you look up. For some things, like the millions of stars and the visible galaxy arm, you do not even need a telescope.

Namibia

While in Africa, you can check out the Namib Desert. Thanks to its dry weather, the sky is clear as crystal during the night. Plus, the country is excellent for astrotourism. Yes, that is a thing now. You can find a telescope farm, which is not difficult to find given the fact that there is a number of them. You can stargaze as much as you want, and you can even enjoy a 360-degree view of the horizon. You should not miss it if you ever find yourself in Namibia.

Chile

As you can imagine, not all of Chile is ideal for stargazing. However, the Atacama Desert is. It is the aridest desert in the world, high and dry, which ensures that most nights are clear. There are plenty of observatories there just in case you want to take a closer look at the heavens, but you can enjoy plenty of pretty sights with the naked eye. Even if you take a stroll in the desert, between the rocks and the red dust, chances are you will feel like taking a walk on Mars. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the view is spectacular. There is no artificial light for miles, which allows you to enjoy the show.

The Alps

If you ever find yourself in Europe and you want a front-row seat to see the stars, the Alps are your best choice. The mountain range can be found in multiple countries, but your best shot is the Alps in Austria. The region is very well preserved, there are very few people, so artificial light is not an issue. Plus, the high altitude helps a lot, so you will see as much as any man can see while looking at the night sky.

The Northern Scandinavia

We cannot talk about stargazing and searching the heavens without mentioning the Northern Lights. As you can imagine, North America is also a good spot, such as Alaska, but let’s face it. Who wants that much cold? Northern Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, and Finland) can get really cold in the winter, but they are no Alaska. Plus, you do not have to go too north to see the lights. You probably already know that they are called Aurora Borealis. At the same time, the countries are not very populated in the north, which means that even without the spectacle of lights, you can enjoy an amazing view. Especially in the winter when you can take a snowmobile and enjoy the show from the middle of nature.

The list can go on, but in my opinion, the locations mentioned above will give you the best opportunities to enjoy the night sky. Of course, you may need to travel a bit, but that should not be an issue. Just do not forget that you may need a visa. Lucky for you, some of the countries require only a passport. That is even easier to get. But other than that, once you take a look at the night sky in one of those places, you will forget about everything else. It is that spectacular.