With the night sky full of thousands of stars, stargazing is the most magical way of experiencing the beauty of our natural world. Which locations are the most popular ones, though? Area 52 has looked at seedlists of the best stargazing locations across the world and analyzed Instagram hashtags as well as global Google search volumes to see which locations are the most popular. Here they are:
Sedona, United States
Instagram: @azhoneybee Pictured: Sedona
Apparently, Sedona in the United States is the world’s most Instagrammed location with 274k Instagrammed hashtags. It also has a global search volume of 304,000 global searches. Sedona is an Arizona desert town near Flagstaff that’s surrounded by red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls, and pine forests which make it a perfect location for stargazing at night.
Kiruna, Sweden
Instagram: @first.degrees Pictured: Kiruna, Sweden Nothern Lights
The second most hashtagged location is Kiruna in Sweden. The Kiruna area of Swedish Lapland is blessed with a climate that allows for clear night skies – the perfect stargazing conditions. The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, appear during the beginning of September in and around Kiruna in the far north of Sweden.
Cherry Springs State Park, United States
Instagram: @kml_photography__ Pictured: Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park is also a popular location with 4,000 Instagram posts and 41,000 global searches. Due to its exceptionally dark skies, Cherry Springs State Park is one of the best places in the eastern U.S. for stargazing, the Park’s “Astronomy Field” offers an unobstructed 360-degree view. Cherry Springs is open year-round and 60 to 85 nights each year have ideal conditions for observing. Each year the park hosts two major star parties, which attract several hundred astronomers for several nights.
Kruger National park is another great location for stargazing with 8,900 Instagram posts. The National Park, in northeastern South Africa, is one of Africa’s largest game reserves. As well as stargazing, you can also spot its high density of wild animals during the daytime, including the Big 5: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalos.
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