Stargazing In Nepal

The world has been changing rapidly so many things that we took once for granted are now precious like; fresh air, clean water, thick green forests and the distinctiveness of flora and fauna. Likewise, the excessive illumination of lights from cities and villages is slowly putting the darkness of the night in danger.

People are now travelling across the globe to get one clear and unpolluted view of the stars. One of the world’s foremost photographers of the night sky says Nepal is the best place on the planet to see the stars and take pictures of them. The landscape with magnificent mountains and the clear starry skies of the Himalayas without the light pollution from the big cities makes Nepal a beautiful spot for stargazing.

Below listed are a few places in Nepal that are popular for stargazing and night photography.

1. Sagarmatha National Park: In 2016, National Geographic listed Sagarmatha National Park which is also home to the world’s highest peak Mt.Everest as one of the world’s five best stargazing sites on the planet. The magazine used a photograph of Jeff dai of Gokyo at night. The region below Mt. Everest always has great astrotourism potential as it is located far from the city’s light pollution and is high above the dust and gaze.
2. Gosainkunda: Gosainkunda is an alpine freshwater lake in Nepal located in the Rasuwa district. This lake carries a very significant place for Hindus as it is believed to be home to one of the main Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati. Located at an elevation of 4380m this site is also far from the city light and great for night photography.
3. Annapurna Base Camp: Annapurna Base Camp popularly known as ABC is one of the popular treks in Nepal as it offers a diverse range of natural treasures, incredible landscapes and stunning mountains. As it is a faraway land from all the city chaos as the sunlight fades away and night grows one can enjoy the beautiful view of the sky filled with stars along with the Milky Way taking the centre of the stage.
4. Langtang National Park: Langtang National Park is Nepal’s first Himalayan National Park and the country’s fourth protected area. This national park is well known for its population of the red panda, Himalayan black bear, snow leopard, wild dog, choral and serow. Although it is the nearest national park to the capital, Kathmandu it is still a beautiful spot for stargazing and night photography. 

Other than the top listed there are many other spots for star gazing in Nepal such as;

a) Machhapuchhre base Camp

b) Shey Phoksundo National Park

c) Chitwan National Park

As all of the trekking routes in Nepal are very remote it is very easy to enjoy the clear night sky filled up with stars from any of the destinations.