The World’s Top 10 Stargazing Spots

The Landscape: More than 2,300 miles from the U.S. mainland and studded with high volcanic peaks, the islands of Hawaii have evolved into one of the world’s premier astronomy destinations.

The Skyscape: Celestial Northern Hemisphere favorites—including the Milky Way, the bands of Jupiter, and the constellations of Ursa Major and Orion—can be seen with a wonderful clarity here.

How to Experience It: At Maui’s Haleakala National Park (www.nps.gov/hale), which is dominated by 10,000-foot Mount Haleakala, rangers lead star-watching walks many evenings from May through October (visitors can also pick up “star maps” at the park headquarters). Oahu’s Astro Tours Hawaii (www.astrotourshawaii.com) hosts stargazing programs at its private observatory near Waikiki. And on the Big Island, high above the town of Hilo on the slopes of 13,796-foot Mauna Kea, Mauna Kea Summit Adventures (www.maunakea.com) offers stargazing tours beneath the mountain’s snowcapped peak, using portable telescopes to navigate the solar system.