CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN
Starry, starry nights
Modern astronomers like to build their observatories in rarefied locations, from the high deserts of Chile to the top of a Hawaiian volcano, but some of the prime sites for staring deep into the heavens can be found in a place beloved of British holidaymakers. The Canary Islands are home to Unesco Starlight Reserves and the world’s largest-aperture optical telescope – at El Roque de Los Muchachos on
La Palma. It’s possible to join tours around that observatory, but for a more private nighttime view, Stars by Night’s guided trips on Fuerteventura head out to desert dunes and other areas away from beach towns, and protected from distracting electric light. In December and January, Orion will be very visible and the Orion Nebula on the ‘sword’ that hangs from the hunter’s belt makes a fine aim for telescopes.