Missed the Eclipse? Here’s Where to Skywatch the Rest of the Year

Maybe you couldn’t head down south for the best eclipse-viewing spots this year, or perhaps you were on the outskirts of the eclipse-viewing path and weren’t that impressed by what you saw. Whatever your reason for looking for skywatching destinations for the rest of the year, these are some of the best spots to get your fill of spectacular solar views.

If it’s stars you’re after, there are several places around the globe where they’re more visible than anywhere else. At Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah, you can view more than 15,000 stars and the Milky Way, in an area that was the darkest known when it was designated as an International Dark Sky Park in 2007. It suffers from absolutely no light pollution whatsoever. Though you’ll be seeing about 5,000 fewer stars, Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania offer such high visibility, the Milky Way typically casts shadows on the ground.

Want to pair your stargazing with some of the world’s other best sites? Not surprisingly, many of the best views are also home to historic landmarks. If you’re in Eastern Europe, Hortobágy National Park is adjacent to the Nine Arch Bridge, the longest stone bridge in Hungary and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the United Kingdom, Northumberland boasts Britain’s largest sky viewing station, but it’s also where Hadrian’s Wall is located (which, for Game of Thrones fans, this well-preserved Roman monument was inspiration for George RR Martin’s Wall).

If you’d rather spot something a little more dramatic, say the Northern Lights, there are several top spots you can book for your next trip. Iceland’s booming popularity is a good choice if you also want to jump on that wagon, but you’re not limited to the increasingly expensive and touristy island, or even the typical Scandinavian countries. Fairbanks is the best domestic destination for spotting the Northern Lights (and some resorts are perfectly situated so you can even watch the lights from your hot tub). The Scottish Highlands, particularly Cairngorms National Park offers great vantage points, plus lots of other activities to keep you busy during daylight hours.

One of the next prominent solar events is the annual Geminids meteor shower. One of the coolest places to watch? Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Michigan, where you watch as many as 120 multicolored meteors streak across the sky each hour, reflecting in the waters of Lake Michigan.