Milky Way over Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park Sep. 18, 2023

Milky Way over Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park

The Milky Way Galaxy has billions of stars; among them, our own Sun finds its place. Its name is derived from the radiant, irregular band of stars and gas clouds known as the Milky Way, which graces Earth"s sky. Methodical observations of the night sky started with early civilizations and astronomy, the oldest natural science that studies celestial objects and their phenomena, is still a modern source of fascination around our own ever-orbiting planet. That love of the night sky is what brings stargazers to Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, a site free from heavy light pollution.

© Daniel Garrido/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A grove glows green
Sep. 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Sep. 18, 2025Dunquin Pier, County Kerry, Ireland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul. 4, 2024Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site
Jul. 30, 2024San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
A flashy, frigid waterfowl
Oct. 12, 2023Old barn and canola field, Palouse region, Idaho
A smooth landing, feet first
Aug. 30, 2024International Whale Shark Day
Happy Mothers Day!
A dramatic celebration of peace
Jun. 28, 2024Stonewall uprising anniversary
Apr. 5, 2025Gaztelugatxe islet at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
Feb. 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Man-made, meandering Lake Powell
Aug. 24, 2023Shark Fin Cove, California
How’s the air up there?
Apr. 10, 2025Siblings Day
Celebrating art in the city
Sep. 6, 2024Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland, UK
Sep. 27, 2025Red maple
Feb. 14, 2026Happy Valentines Day!
Mar. 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
Feb. 15, 2025The natural ice wall of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan
Jan. 11, 2026Blue walls of Chefchaouen, Morocco
Sep. 2, 2025Camel thorn trees, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
Go hug a mountain, if you can
Sep. 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA
Jun. 26, 2025Horse Head Rock, New South Wales, Australia
Oct. 29, 2024Great horned owl
Dec. 27, 2024Lake Bled, Slovenia
Dec. 3, 2024Amber Fort, Amer, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Oct. 30, 2024Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, United Kingdom