There are few places on Earth where you can still experience true darkness and the full impact of a starry, starry night. Experience one of them on your next Southern African safari.
Dark Skies Mean Bright Stars
Gazing upward at the skies above the NamibRand Reserve in Namibia you will be amazed at how many stars are visible at night. The brilliant show has nothing to do with geographical location and everything to do with darkness.
Namibia is one of the world’s last sparsely populated places, and it is the absence of terrestrial lighting which makes the stars ‘pop’ in the heavens above. Together with Aoraki Mackenzie, in New Zealand, this area is one of the last two Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserves left in the world. This means that those who gaze upward in these areas are in for big rewards.
Stargazing That’s Out-Of-This-World
As an idea of what’s in store on a stargazing trip to the vast open spaces of Namibia consider this:
A Dark Skies Awareness rating works on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a brightly lit urban scenario with almost no stars visible. The NamibRand is rated 1 on this scale.
This means that not only are over 6 000 stars visible to the naked eye, but it is dark enough to see shadows cast on the ground by the Milky Way.
Keeping the Lights Off
Scientists working with the Namib Rand have taken great strides to educate the public about the dangers of light pollution, which affects much more than just a pleasant evening’s activity.
Many animals use the stars as a guide to their behaviors. Dimming this source of light can affect their hunting, mating and sleeping patterns in the same way that climate change does.
Reach for the Stars
For now, the NamibRand and other unspoiled African desert environments such as the Kalahari, still put on a spectacular display every evening. Get your share on guided tours with an expert astronomer to show you around, or at specialized lodges catering to the star gazer with telescopes and minimal lighting.
Namibia’s skies are clear at most times of the year, providing the perfect canvas for celestial sightseeing, and specialized equipment is not necessary to enjoy a show that can be celebrated by the naked eye.
These evening excursions offer unobstructed sightings of asteroid belts, orbiting moons, nebula and dwarf red moons of the Milky Way.
If you would like to see the universe in a whole new light, get in touch and we can arrange it all on your southern African safari to Namibia.
