Admiring the Milky Way at Famous Tourist Destinations

Photographers from all around the world have captured mesmerizing images depicting surreal night skies in various countries across the globe.

Socotra Island, Yemen

Captured by photographer Benjamin Barakat, this photo was taken on Socotra Island, located off the coast of Yemen in the Indian Ocean. The photographer describes the unforgettable nights on this mystical island, where the dragon blood trees stand out against the arid landscape, illuminated by a colorful starry sky. Barakat says, “The air here is pure, free from light pollution. The pristine natural scenery on this island makes me feel like I’ve traveled back in time.”

The iconic symbol of Socotra Island is the Dracaena cinnabari, commonly known as the dragon blood tree. With its mushroom-like or giant umbrella shape, the tree’s resin has a blood-red color. The local inhabitants have used the resin for medicinal, veterinary, and even cosmetic purposes since ancient times. In 2008, Socotra Island was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique natural heritage.

Cafayate Town, Salta, Argentina

This photo was taken in a nature reserve near Cafayate town, located in the Salta province of Argentina. The colorful nebulae captured through photographer Gonzalo Santile’s lens resemble a rainbow strip across the night sky. Santile shares that he had to be at the right time during the “blue hour,” when the Sun is deep below the horizon and the sky transitions in color, to capture the Milky Way. The exact location of this photo is Las Ventanas Desert, characterized by its dry and iron-rich red soil, with vegetation mainly consisting of thorny cacti. The area is also known for its natural rock columns, standing 9 to 18 meters tall.

Mono Lake, California, USA

Photographer Marcin Zajac named this photo “The Extraterrestrial Forest.” The real-life location is Mono Lake, a saltwater lake in Mono County, California, USA. With an area of 183 square kilometers, it is one of the oldest lakes in North America. The high salinity, combined with carbonate, chloride, and sulfur, has formed unique limestone columns that emerge from the lake’s depths when the water level drops.

Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Steffi Lieberman captured the photo “Night Sky Beneath the Baobab Forest” at the famous Avenue of the Baobabs in Morondava, Madagascar. The avenue is renowned for its ancient baobab trees, aged between 400 and 1,000 years. Lieberman shares that this photo holds significant meaning for her. To capture the scene at night, the female photographer had to overcome challenging road conditions and obtain permission from the security forces. The result is a surreal image of the Milky Way stretching across the iconic African baobab trees.

Tenerife Island, Spain

Photographer Roksolyana Hilevych shares this photo, capturing a once-in-a-lifetime moment. A shooting star happened to pass by just as Hilevych was photographing the Milky Way on Tenerife Island. The star illuminated everything around, turning the night sky into daylight for a few seconds.

Tenerife is an island belonging to Spain and part of the Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa. With its diverse nature and mild climate, visitors to Tenerife often engage in activities such as mountain climbing, diving, or enjoying luxurious beach resorts.

Yamagashi, Japan

Mitsuhiro Okabe documented the night scene in Yamagashi during cherry blossom season. This is a familiar viewpoint for many tourists and photographers, featuring Mount Fuji. What sets Okabe’s photo apart is the vibrant Milky Way shining brightly in the night sky, instead of the typical snow-capped mountain against a blue sky.

Namibia, Africa

Lorenzo Ranieri Tenti embarked on an extraordinary adventure to capture beautiful scenes in Namibia. He explored the Gross Spitzkoppe Nature Reserve in southern Namibia. After trekking up Spitzkoppe Mountain, the photographer discovered an area where smooth granite rocks stretched as far as the eye could see, providing a panoramic view for admiring the Milky Way in the night sky.

Namibia is a country in southern Africa, with a western coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It showcases wild beauty, from endless deserts and vast sand dunes to national parks with diverse plant and animal life, including awe-inspiring starry nights free from electric lights.