The Sky is Falling

Not just in Norway, the home of the Northern Lights, but also at several other picturesque locales around the world. Prepare to camp under a glittering sky, observe constellations, and be starstruck!

- Sreeparna Mazumder

Atacama Desert

CHILE

Located in northern Chile, this 600-mile, salt-plains-and-boulders strip of land boasts the holy trifecta of ideal stargazing conditions: high altitude, low to zero light pollution, and dry (non-polar) air. No wonder, then, that it’s home to observatories like the La Silla Observatory and the Paranal Observatory, where you can huddle around telescopes and identify constellations and watch the Milky Way in all its star-studded glory. The more discerning astronomers can head to the ALMA Observatory, where the world’s most powerful radio telescope uses 66 satellite antennae (together it equals a 10-mile-long telescope) to look deep into the universe. For a more leisurely experience, visit Valle de Elqui, where you can set up your own telescope, go to one of the several nighttime observatories, and attend astronomy lectures.

Nova Scotia

CANADA