The best stargazing sites in the world

Get away from light pollution for the best observing sites on Earth

Darkness is disappearing. With light pollution on the increase as white LED streetlights spread across the globe, it's increasingly difficult to see more than a few very bright stars if you’re in a city. Cue a network of places designated as having dark enough skies for stargazing and astronomy.

The most extensive program is by the US-based IDA – the International Dark-Sky Association (www. darksky.org) – which runs a certification scheme that monitors light pollution, and has certified

Dark Sky Parks (which recognise the world’s very darkest places) and Dark Sky Reserves (dedicated to preserving the quality of night skies) across the world. Dark Sky Reserves are rated on their darkness using a gold, silver or bronze badge.

The IDA has also named three Dark Sky Sanctuaries, the rarest and most fragile dark places left on the planet, though these typically surround major observatories and may not be publicly accessible.

Meanwhile, a UNESCO Starlight Initiative to protect night skies has also spawned several Starlight Reserves, most notably in the Canary Islands. These are intended not only to preserve the quality of the night sky, but also to make it easy for everyone to access them. Such places routinely come with networks of observation locations with excellent signage. Another term to know is Dark Sky Preserve, though these apply to Canada only, and have been designated by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Escape the light pollution and head to our pick of the best places on Earth to observe the night sky

However, it’s important not to get too obsessed with these schemes, which have really only just begun. For instance, the Australian Outback has no certification, but is one of the darkest places on the planet. The same for much of Africa.

For UK-based stargazers, perhaps the most important place to start is with Dark Sky Discovery Sites, a network of small, specific locations to go stargazing. They’re very often casual, easily missed locations used by local astronomers, such as pub car parks and village commons in the countryside.

Remember that all dark sky sites are part-time; you must go when the Moon is down, which is best done in the week leading up to New Moon, and a few days afterwards. So get in tune with the Moon, get outside and find a dark place to call your own.