Many places in Central Asia and Mongolia, in particular Kazakhstan, can offer a splendid luxury: the night sky as it really is. This is something rare to find in this urbanized world, where most of us can’t enjoy the milky way anymore due to the so-called light pollution. We miss the sky’s full potential. And we don’t even know what we are missing until having seen a natural night sky – with thousands of stars instead of hundreds of homes.
A recent travel trend: stargazing
People who have seen a sky full of stars remember it vividly for decades. It can be a reason to travel for nowadays, as dark skies have become a touristic attraction. The Start-up VISIT DARK SKIES, wrapped around the experience of the night, has been featured among the Top 50 Hot Travel Startups for 2022. But not just that, many other media outlets like the Guardian, Condé Nast Traveler or the New York Times have been featuring stargazing as something not to miss out on.
VISIT DARK SKIES® Guided Stargazing can create life-long memories
But how does it work? Is there more to it than looking through a telescope? Simple answer: yes! Experiencing vastness and depth, exploring a personal encounter with the planet, and connecting to a special person next to you, that is what stargazing offers to you.
With a trained local guide, you can find the best remote, while still comfortable, place. Then, there is time to try something new: the method "Guided Stargazing" developed by VISITDARK SKIES founder and lighting designer Etta Dannemann, helps you to enjoy the sky in a new manner. Dive in by lying on your back and immerse yourself into the stars for hours. The guided stargazing audio file will allow you to fall into the experience – and how long this experience of watching the stars will last is up to you.
The 5 pillars of Guided Stargazing
The guided stargazing method is based on five pillars: A remote location with little to no light pollution, an area with a clear view of the horizon, comfort and warmth in order to lay on your back, the right eye adaptation and head movements, and lastly, the VISIT DARK SKIES audio-file that will guide you into the experience. Lying underneath the stars, you might realize that we are only a small part of something big. A night spent underneath the natural sky with a special someone is an extraordinary experience that you will remember vividly for the rest of your life. Might even be life-changing, as it has been for many of us.
Central Asia offers a star-performance regarding its night sky’s pureness
The light pollution map, based on satellite images, reveals one of the many specialities of Central Asia and Kazakhstan in particular. On this map, Grey and black mean a clear view of the natural night, red and white show areas with an inner-city sky, with no view of the stars nor real darkness. Their vast landscapes can offer a level of night sky pureness that can rarely be reached in European locations. Dare to take a look at your city compared to Kazakhstan?!
You might travel to the Assy-Turgen plateau and find a spot there. Or find your way next to the Tien Shan Astronomical Observatory near Almaty. More cozy locations might be suitable as well – ask your local guide about the best places.
Seeing the Milky Way has become a privilege
Today, about 99% of people live under light-polluted skies. 80% of inhabitants of North America and 60% of Europeans cannot see the Milky Way in their hometown. Children who grow up today are likely to never see the natural night sky until they start to travel, actively looking for it.
How come? 60% of people in the world live in cities, and this percentage is still growing.
Urban areas and their everyday processes produce light pollution. In consequence, to see the night sky, as our ancestors knew it, has become a privilege. This causes us to lose an important aspect that makes us human: the unlimited view into the universe.
The Guided Stargazing audio-file is the perfect surprise for your travel mate
Ready? Then let’s get started! With the guided stargazing audioexperience that can be purchased on the VISIT DARK SKIES® website, you will be able to propose a unique experience to your travel mate. It is a surprising present that will create a perfect moment during your journey in Central Asia.
To find out more about Guided Stargazing, take a look at the VISIT DARK SKIES® website.
Co-Author: Iben Nissum
Many places in Central Asia can offer a splendid luxury: the night sky as it really is. These underrated destinations regarding mainstream tourism have a true advantage: they create very little impact towards the night sky in form of light pollution. Stargazing recently has become a trend and people who have seen the milky way in a remote area remember this experience for decades. In this article, we describe the method guided stargazing, developed by Etta Dannemann, the founder of VISIT DARK SKIES. The innovative approach helps to create the experience of looking towards the stars for hours and is the perfect surprise event during your trip in Central Asia.
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