Stargaze In A Dark Sky Reserve
Ticked off in December 2015
Lie back under a sky so full of stars that the Milky Way casts a faint glow on the ground.
The adventure
When you first look up in the Atacama, it doesn't look real. There are so many stars that the familiar constellations get lost among them, and the Milky Way isn't a faint smudge but a bright, textured river across the whole sky, with dark dust lanes running through it.
The desert is one of the driest places on Earth, high and almost cloudless, which is why some of the world's biggest telescopes are built here. Through a guide's telescope you see Saturn's rings, star clusters and the Magellanic Clouds, two whole galaxies visible only from the southern hemisphere. Then you just lie back in the cold and watch, as a satellite slides across and a shooting star burns out, and the silence feels as big as the sky. On an overland trip through Africa, the same sky appears night after night over remote bush camps, with the truck parked up and the campfire the only light for miles.
Why it’s epic
- The Milky Way bright enough to see its dust lanes with the naked eye.
- The Magellanic Clouds, galaxies visible only from the southern hemisphere.
- The Atacama hosts major observatories, including ALMA and Paranal.
What it is
With almost no cloud, high altitude and very little light pollution, Chile's Atacama Desert has some of the clearest night skies on Earth. Remote bush camps in Africa, far from any town, come close.
How to do it
Join a stargazing tour with telescopes and a guide, or drive away from any town after dark. Plan around the moon.
Top tip
Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust and use a red light, not your phone screen.
Need to know
- Desert nights are freezing, even after a hot day.
- A full moon washes out most of the stars.
- Altitude in the Atacama can bring headaches; take it easy at first.
Do it yourself
My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
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