This is Why Chile is the Best Place for Astrophotography
If you enjoy stargazing (who doesn’t?!), you know how difficult it can be to find a nice vantage point from which to look into the heavens. For many of us, there is simply too much light pollution, too many clouds or perhaps too little knowledge of celestial bodies to be able to have a good, long look at the vastness of space around us.
Though there are many places on Earth that afford great views of the night sky, Chile has to be at the top of the list. Here’s why…
Dark Skies
It’s obviously very hard to see the night sky if there’s a lot of light pollution. Actually, even if there’s a small amount of light pollution, your view is substantially decreased. But in many parts of Chile, light pollution simply isn’t a problem.
Take the Atacama Desert as a prime example. It is the driest area on Earth, and as a result, there is nothing there - no cities or towns, no villages or homes. When you visit the Atacama and set up your camera, the brightest thing for miles will be your camera’s LCD. That makes for some impressive night sky photography. As an added bonus, many areas of the Atacama are extremely flat, so you won’t have to spend a lot of time tinkering with your tripod to get your camera nice and level either!
Perfect Weather
An excellent recipe for stargazing and astrophotography is high altitude and clear skies. Chile has both. Again, the Atacama is a prime viewing spot, because without the worry of rain, cloudless skies are the norm. In fact, in many areas of the Atacama, there are clear skies 90 percent of the year. What’s more, the high altitude of the area means cool weather, with an average temperature of just 66 degrees. That makes for a chilly, crisp nights for maximum stargazing opportunities. It’s no wonder that Chile is home to many world famous observatories, including the Las Campanas Observatory nestled at 8,000 feet above sea level.
Great Tours, Knowledgeable People
Apart from the necessary ingredients of dark skies and great weather, another must-have for making the most of your astrophotography experience is a tour specially designed for stargazers. Special Interest Tours has a Southern Skies Tour coming up March 24-29, 2017 that will tantalize you with views of the southern sky like you’ve never seen before. Part of the tour will take place in the Atacama Desert, complete with a private tour of the Las Campanas Observatory. Better still, you’ll be traveling with world-renowned astronomer Bob Berman, who offers multiple lectures and presentations about the night sky that will both impress and delight you.
But the Southern Skies Tour is much more than that. You’ll get to experience the hustle and bustle of Santiago, see small colonial villages seldom visited by tourists, watch wildlife including penguins and sea lions, see incredible architecture, and have the opportunity to travel with and get to know other photography and astronomy enthusiasts. That’s a combination that’s tough to beat!
For further details about the Southern Skies Tour or other photography travel opportunities, visit Special Interest Tours.