SEEING STARS... AND SO MUCH MORE
National Geographic Traveller (UK)|January/February 2022
LOOKING TO THE SKIES FOR ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS CAN BE A LIFE-AFFIRMING EXPERIENCE. BUT IT ISN’T ALL JUST STARGAZING — SOME OF THE PLANET’S BEST DARK-SKY DESTINATIONS OFFER ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT BRING THE COSMOS TO LIFE, MAKING EVEN THE MOST DISTANT NEBULAS SEEM CLOSER TO HOME
- BEN LERWILL
SEEING STARS... AND SO MUCH MORE

Somewhere in the cosmic void between Mars and Jupiter, around 111 million miles from Earth, there floats a hulking, rocky lump named Vesta. It’s one of the largest bodies in the asteroid belt, with a surface area the size of a small moon and temperatures that drop to -200C. Back down on Earth, it’s 2 am, I’m in a warm room on a dark hilltop in Northumberland, and a sliced fragment of Vesta is resting in my palm.

“I love space rocks,” says Ellie Macdonald, one of the science communicators at Kielder Observatory, encouraging me to study the interplanetary interloper under a microscope. “They’re the most tangible form of astronomy.” On the table around us are other long-distance travelers — little chunks of the lunar surface, and even Mars — all of which have arrived here in meteorite form. They represent not so much a collection of high-value rocks as a kind of solar system reunion.

A few minutes later, we’re standing outside, where the dead-of-night clouds have rolled back to reveal a shimmering, psychedelic universe of pinprick stars. Directly above us is the unfathomable vastness of the Milky Way, a glowing cosmic highway furled across the night sky. Ellie’s colleague, Liam Reid, gives the sight some context. “So, our sun is one of 300 billion stars,” he says, as my mind does loop-the-loops. “And that’s just in our galaxy alone. There are three trillion other galaxies.”

この蚘事は National Geographic Traveller (UK) の January/February 2022 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は National Geographic Traveller (UK) の January/February 2022 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER (UK)のその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
Annette Arjoon-Martins
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Annette Arjoon-Martins

RAISED BY HER INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHER IN GUYANA, SOUTH AMERICA, ANNETTE BUILT A FEMALE DRONE UNIT TO MONITOR MANGROVES

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
The Amazon to the Andes
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

The Amazon to the Andes

THIS AUTUMN, PADDINGTON HEADS TO PERU ON THE BIG SCREEN - FOLLOW IN HIS PAWPRINTS FOR AN EPIC FAMILY ADVENTURE

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Serra de Tramuntana
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Serra de Tramuntana

MAJORCA'S MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGE IS EVERY BIT AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE ISLAND'S COASTLINE - AND YOU CAN HIKE STRAIGHT FROM YOUR HOTEL

time-read
4 分  |
November 2024
CRAFTING PERFECTION
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

CRAFTING PERFECTION

Carlsberg's old brewing district has been redeveloped, offering creative new ways to enjoy Copenhagen

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
HOTEL AWARDS 2024
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

HOTEL AWARDS 2024

IT'S BEEN AN EPIC YEAR FOR HOTEL OPENINGS, REVAMPS AND EXTENSIONS, AND WE'VE SCOURED THE GLOBE FOR THE BEST OF THEM. WHETHER YOU WANT TO TUNE INTO THE JUNGLE FROM A TREEHOUSE, SLEEP IN A PIECE OF HISTORY OR WATCH THE SUN SET OVER MOUNTAIN PEAKS FROM YOUR BED, YOU'RE GUARANTEED A MEMORABLE STAY FROM OUR WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP

time-read
3 分  |
November 2024
MALDIVES
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

MALDIVES

An archipelago of 1,192 coral islands and 26 turquoise atolls looping across the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is home to resorts that cater to every imaginable taste, from barefoot escapes to designer digs. The most convenient to reach are located in the South Malé, North Malé and Vaavu atolls, within speedboat distance of Velana International Airport, while more remote atolls are accessible by seaplane or domestic flight. With easy access to the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Baa and Raa are especially popular. Those around the Equator, including Gaafu Alifu, offer a splendid sense of isolation, abundant marine life and brilliantly starry night skies.

time-read
5 分  |
November 2024
TRANSYLVANIA
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

TRANSYLVANIA

The central Romanian region of Dracula fame makes for an intriguing autumn break - sink your teeth into its crafts and culture after discovering its turreted castles.

time-read
7 分  |
November 2024
Audio adventures
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Audio adventures

FROM OVERTOURISM TO HOW THE OLYMPIC GAMES AFFECTS HOST CITIES, HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST PODCASTS THAT EXPLORE THE WORLD

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
NICE
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

NICE

Historically a place where monarchs and aristocrats would escape the winter in favour of warm Mediterranean climes, this southern French city is at its best in the off season

time-read
9 分  |
November 2024
BELFAST
National Geographic Traveller (UK)

BELFAST

In the Northern Irish capital, the healing and uniting powers of music and art are being used to reconcile the past, look to the future and bring communities together

time-read
10+ 分  |
November 2024