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The best skies in January

120 places where January is among the best months: long dark nights and clearer skies.

2Bortle93mountainOuanoukrimMoroccoMorocco21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle92desertGrand Erg OccidentalAlgeriaAlgeria21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle92mountainJbel ToubkalMoroccoMorocco21.86 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle91mountainNat Ma TaungMyanmarMyanmar21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle91desertAlgerian DesertAlgeriaAlgeria21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle90desertErg TiffernineAlgeriaAlgeria21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle90mountainBarbeau PeakCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle90lakeLake TanaEthiopiaEthiopia21.88 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle90lakeYamdrok LakeChinaChina21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle90canyonGreenland's Grand CanyonGreenlandGreenland21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle90mountainKula KangriBhutanBhutan21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle90International Dark Sky ParkGrand Canyon National ParkUnited StatesUnited States21.85 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle90mountainGangkhar PuensumBhutanBhutan21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle89mountainM'GounMoroccoMorocco21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle89International Dark Sky ParkBryce Canyon National ParkUnited StatesUnited States21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle89canyonArak gorgesAlgeriaAlgeria21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle88desertChihuahuan DesertUnited StatesUnited States21.85 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle88lakeLake ChadChadChad21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle88mountainPeak Pobeda, SakhaRussiaRussia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle88mountainNabro VolcanoEritreaEritrea21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle88International Dark Sky ParkKodachrome Basin State ParkUnited StatesUnited States21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle88desertAlashanChinaChina21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87mountainOtgontengerMongoliaMongolia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87mountainChappal WaddiNigeriaNigeria21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle87mountainMount WutaiChinaChina21.77 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle87mountainCosigüinaNicaraguaNicaragua21.83 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle87mountainMount TenakourouMaliMali21.88 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle87volcanoHanish IslandsYemenYemen21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87mountainMount GonggaChinaChina21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87lakeLake FitriChadChad21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle87lakeLake BamBurkina FasoBurkina Faso21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87mountainGannett PeakUnited StatesUnited States21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87volcanoMauna LoaUnited StatesUnited States21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle87mountainMont SokbaroBeninBenin21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87volcanoCentral IslandKenyaKenya21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle87desertOrdos DesertChinaChina21.84 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87desertKhongoryn ElsMongoliaMongolia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle87desertBadain Jaran DesertChinaChina21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle87canyonDadès GorgesMoroccoMorocco21.86 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle86lakeLake KompiengaBurkina FasoBurkina Faso21.88 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle86mountainKinyetiSouth SudanSouth Sudan21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle86desertBetpak-DalaKazakhstanKazakhstan21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle86desertAral KarakumKazakhstanKazakhstan21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle86desertChalbi DesertKenyaKenya21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle86mountainMount BintumaniSierra LeoneSierra Leone21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle86lakeKainji LakeNigeriaNigeria21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle86mountainJongsong PeakChinaChina21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle86islandGonâve IslandHaitiHaiti21.86 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85mountainChomolhariBhutanBhutan21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85islandAxel Heiberg IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle85mountainPico PosetsSpainSpain21.83 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85desertKazakh semi-desertKazakhstanKazakhstan21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle85lakeChott MelrhirAlgeriaAlgeria21.74 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85mountainBurkhan KhaldunMongoliaMongolia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle85desertTengger DesertChinaChina21.85 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle85lakeHeaven LakeChinaChina21.88 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85volcanoMauna KeaUnited StatesUnited States21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85mountainManasluNepalNepal21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85mountainAnnapurna IINepalNepal21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85volcanoMount ElgonUgandaUganda21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85mountainAnnapurna INepalNepal21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85islandEllesmere IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85mountainHimalchuliNepalNepal21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle85desertKubuqi DesertChinaChina21.72 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle85mountainMount AgouTogoTogo21.76 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle85lakeIndawgyi LakeMyanmarMyanmar21.88 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle85desertLop DesertChinaChina21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainMount Richard-MolardGuineaGuinea21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainDenaliUnited StatesUnited States21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month3Bortle84volcanoTecuamburroGuatemalaGuatemala21.67 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle84mountainBolaven PlateauLaosLaos21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainMonkh SaridagRussiaRussia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainMount ForakerUnited StatesUnited States21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainMount WuteveLiberiaLiberia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84canyonYolyn AmMongoliaMongolia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle84islandBarbudaAntigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda21.83 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle84islandRedondaAntigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda21.82 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle84mountainPeak la SelleHaitiHaiti21.74 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle84mountainMonte PerdidoSpainSpain21.82 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle84mountainMugalzharKazakhstanKazakhstan21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainThor PeakCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84lakeLake TurkanaEthiopiaEthiopia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle84International Dark Sky SanctuaryRainbow Bridge National MonumentUnited StatesUnited States21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainBelukha MountainRussiaRussia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainKanchenjungaNepalNepal21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainMont NgaouiCentral African RepublicCentral African Republic21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84mountainHüiten PeakMongoliaMongolia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84islandBylot IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle84lakeNorth Aral SeaKazakhstanKazakhstan21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83volcanoMount KupeCameroonCameroon21.82 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83lakeHulun LakeChinaChina21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83lakeLake VoltaGhanaGhana21.79 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83mountainKabruNepalNepal21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83volcanoMount BlackburnUnited StatesUnited States21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83islandNavassa IslandUnited StatesUnited States21.88 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83islandDevon IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83volcanoMount IliamnaUnited StatesUnited States21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83mountainDhaulagiriNepalNepal21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83volcanoMount RedoubtUnited StatesUnited States21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83islandSaona IslandDominican RepublicDominican Republic21.71 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83islandHans IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83islandBanks IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83canyonGrand CanyonUnited StatesUnited States21.83 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83volcanoMount BonaUnited StatesUnited States21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83desertRyn DesertKazakhstanKazakhstan21.87 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83desertLa Guajira DesertVenezuelaVenezuela21.80 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83mountainMount LucaniaCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83islandLa Tortuga IslandVenezuelaVenezuela21.69 mag/arcsec² · Best month2Bortle83mountainMachhapuchhreNepalNepal21.88 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83islandNordaustlandetNorwayNorway21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83lakeLake AbayaEthiopiaEthiopia21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83lakeKhövsgöl LakeMongoliaMongolia21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83mountainMount FairweatherUnited StatesUnited States21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83islandBathurst IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle83volcanoMount WrangellUnited StatesUnited States21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle82dark-sky preserveGrasslands National ParkCanadaCanada21.89 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle82islandEllef Ringnes IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle82mountainMount AsgardCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle82islandVictoria IslandCanadaCanada21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month1Bortle82islandJohnston AtollUnited StatesUnited States21.90 mag/arcsec² · Best month

Best months: dark hours × clear sky (NASA, 2001–2020) × the Milky Way. Check the Moon before you go.

The family

Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?

Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.

beachesCoastyaFind your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit lakesLakeyasEvery lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountainsPeakyasEvery summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit waterfallsCascadyasEvery waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit islandsIslandyasEvery island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit riversRiveryasEvery river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit canyonsCanyonyasEvery canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit cavesCavernyasEvery cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit
dark skiesDarkskyasWhere the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.You are here
viewpointsViewyasEvery viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit
birdwatchingBirdyasEvery bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.Coming soonVisit
forestsForestyaEvery forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit