Wish Upon a Star: Best Places to Enjoy Starry Nights

Stargazing and trying to catch a glimpse of falling stars is a favourite pastime for many people. For some, it is enough to compel them to drive a few kilometres from the city, while others attempt to seek out the darkest spots on the planet. Stargazing is confidently becoming a separate tourist theme, with some companies purchasing routes with astronomers instead of guides, hotels offering a telescope in each room, and some people including visits to the observatory in the programme.

Sputnik has compiled for you the best places for observing stars, comets and the Milky Way.

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A great view on the night sky opens from the Astronomical Observatory of the Aosta Valley, Italy.

CC BY 2.0 / P. Calcidese–Fondazione C. Fillietroz, ONLUS/ESO / The Astronomical Observatory of the Aosta Valley

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The Milky Way, all the major constellations and nebulas (bright clouds of gas and dust) and shooting stars can be seen in the sky above Snowdonia National Park, United Kingdom.

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A starry sky over an Albarracin village in the mountains in Teruel province, Spain.

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Igor Romero / Nocturnas de Albarracín

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The Milky Way is seen over Hehuan Mountain (also called Joy Mountain) that is located within Taroko National Park in central Taiwan.

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Jerry Lai / Milky Way in Hehuan Mountain

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The Alqueva dark sky area in Portugal still has some small towns where street lights remain on after 1:00 a.m. The Cirrus clouds reflect the light but it adds some mystery to the atmosphere.

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The night sky above Platjes de Fornells that is located between Cala Tirant and the fishing town of Fornells, Minorca.

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Andrés Nieto Porras / Platjes de Fornells, Menorca

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Milky Way from the Beerot Khan- camping site in the Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon, Dark-sky preserve), Israel.

CC BY-SA 4.0 / MinoZig / Beerot Khan, Ramon Crater - Israel (cropped image)

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The night sky full of stars over the Tatacoa desert at night in Huila, Colombia.

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The starry sky over Keystone Bridge, located in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona.

CC BY 2.0 / NPS/Andrew V Kearns / Stars Over Keystone Arch

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The Milky Way above Heavens Peak that is located in the Livingston Range, Glacier National Park in the US state of Montana.