^{Photo by: Brocken Inaglory}
So, it happened - you got a telescope, you picked up a new travel-hobby virus, or seriously decided to hunt for aliens. There are many reasons to become an astrotourist, and many ways to satisfy the growing need to watch the sky.

The main astronomical event of 2015 will be a total solar eclipse on March 20 , the largest phase of which in Russia can be observed in the Murmansk region on the border with Norway.

A total lunar eclipse will occur at the full moon on April 4. The inhabitants of Siberia, Primorye, Kamchatka and the Far East will see the full phase. And on September 28, the inhabitants of the European part of Russia will see the Moon plunged into the Earth’s shadow.
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In addition, in September, the brightest asteroid of the year , Vesta, will appear in the sky , accessible for observation with the naked eye. In the morning sky of December comet Catalina will be visible .

If you want to see a meteor shower destroying the Earth from the first row or simply admire the beauty of the Milky Way, you will need a high altitude, a dry climate and a complete lack of sources of artificial lighting. Select by these criteria the edge in the Moscow suburbs will not work. Fortunately, there are specially equipped places in the world for all thirsty astrophiles.

Top 5 places to observe the sky

The Pulkovo Observatory of St. Petersburg is considered the main astronomical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. During excursions, including night, you can get acquainted with the 26-inch refractor telescope, the Big Pulkovo radio telescope and the Solar telescope (one of the largest in Europe).


^{Photo author: Vladimir Ivanov}



The light pollution map clearly shows that viewing the starry sky in Moscow is quite problematic. In the capital there are folk observatories in Gorky Park and Sokolniki, but the main point of attraction of all urban star worshipers is the astronomical site of the Moscow Planetarium.



But keep in mind that the highlight of the metropolis allows you to see well only large objects of the solar system, and to look into deep space will have to go on a long journey.



An important place, about which we could not say - the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory . The largest number of telescopes among the observatories of the former USSR is located on its territory.



The south, the stars are closer and brighter. Crimean Observatory is located in the mountains; planets and stars in it can be viewed with a two-fold increase.



Not every place on the planet is suitable for serious observation of stars - therefore special hotels operate for astrotourists, and the International Dark Sky Association annually makes ratings of places with the most beautiful sky. So in the county of Kerry in Ireland one can observe a particularly clear and bright night sky, for which the place received a mark of “golden” level, and the Hortobágy National Park in Hungary pleases with the beauty of the stars on the “silver” level. One of the most "star" places in the world is the unique design hotel Elqui Domos in Chile. Watching space without getting out of bed, you can 320 days a year.



The true purpose of Stonehenge is still unknown, but most experts are inclined to believe that huge boulders were used for astronomical observations. Whatever it was, in this territory, the stars can be studied now - the ideal conditions for those who want to see the sky the way it was and thousands (if not millions) of years ago are maintained near the megalithic structure.



For the very lazy, we offer a place to watch out of competition - your apartment! On a clear night, even under the conditions of Moscow's illumination, one can observe the Moon, planets and stars. And if you practice a little, you can take our nearest neighbor on the phone:



How deep into the past you can look - depends on the power of your telescope. In a few years a telescope will be put into orbit. James Webb, who can look at the longest page of the calendar of history, when the age of the universe was only 200 million years.

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