Not only children, but also adults love to admire the starry sky. However, in cities, even on a cloudless night, the sky does not seem to be starry compared to what you can see in nature, far from the city.
It is best to admire the starry sky away from cities and towns, because in the city limits, due to street lighting and light in the windows of houses, the sky seems less starry than outside the city. For example, stargazing is good in a village or in a mountainous area. The higher the height of the mountains above sea level, the better you can see celestial objects from the top. Therefore, observatories are always built in the mountains. But in addition to remote corners and mountain peaks, there are special places in the world where the starry sky simply amazes with the number and brightness of the stars.
Tuscany (Italy)
On the picturesque hills of Tuscany, Galileo Galilei himself studied the starry sky. The astronomer used a powerful telescope for this. However, tourists who have no scientific interest can admire the starry skies simply by walking the Tuscan hills in the evening or at night. Even with the naked eye, on a clear night, up to 3,000 stars can be observed in the sky. Without a telescope, not only the constellations are well visible. For example, in a cloudless sky, the bright stripe of the Milky Way, comets and meteorites are clearly visible.
English Stonehenge
This unique megalithic structure is located on a plateau, from which you can admire the stunningly beautiful starry sky at night. In the vicinity of Stonehenge, there are no settlements or any sources of illumination, so the sky above it is dark and starry.
Canary Islands, Caldera de Taburiente National Park
The national park is located in the central part of the island of La Palma. The park has the town of Roque de Los Muchachos, reaching an altitude of 2426 meters. The European Astrophysical Observatory is built on top of this mountain. For tourists, visiting the observatory is possible as part of excursion groups by appointment, as well as on open days, which can be found on the official website of the observatory.
The most powerful telescopes are installed at the European Astrophysical Observatory. But you can admire the starry sky without the help of a telescope, for this it is enough to stay for the night in one of the campgrounds of the national park.
Lake Baikal shores
There is a special type of climate in the vicinity of Lake Baikal. Baikal is surrounded by mountains from almost all sides, which hold back clouds and clouds. Even in winter, Baikal has a large number of sunny days and clear skies. Therefore, a trip to Lake Baikal is a great opportunity to see the starry sky in all its glory.
Also on the shores of Lake Baikal near the village of Listvyanka is the observatory of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics. For tourists, the observatory organizes excursions and lectures, which are organized by employees of the Foundation for Assistance to the Construction of the Irkutsk Planetarium. Also in the observatory for tourists, night observations of celestial bodies are carried out.
