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Amagi Highland, Japan — Pacific Horizon and Mountain Skies at 1,000 Meters on the Izu Peninsula
Amagi Highland, Japan — Pacific Horizon and Mountain Skies at 1,000 Meters on the Izu Peninsula
Amagi Highland in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, sits at roughly 1,000 m. The open southern sky faces the Pacific Ocean, giving clean dark conditions toward the south that complement the mountain scenery.
Akiyoshidai, Japan — A 360-Degree Starry Sky Above Japan's Largest Karst Plateau
Akiyoshidai, Japan — A 360-Degree Starry Sky Above Japan's Largest Karst Plateau
Akiyoshidai in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is Japan's largest karst plateau — a National Quasi-Park and Special Natural Monument. Hundreds of limestone outcrops dot the grassland under a wide, open sky that's uniquely suited for stargazing.
Achi Village Namisai Park, Japan — The Environment Ministry's Number One Stargazing Location
Achi Village Namisai Park, Japan — The Environment Ministry's Number One Stargazing Location
Achi Village in southern Nagano Prefecture was ranked first in the Environment Ministry's national star observation survey. The Namisai Park stargazing deck delivers a Bortle Class 1 sky that lives up to every superlative.
Lake Okutama, Japan — The Darkest Sky You Can Reach from Central Tokyo
Lake Okutama, Japan — The Darkest Sky You Can Reach from Central Tokyo
About 2 hours from central Tokyo by train and bus, Lake Okutama is one of the few places within the city's borders where the faint band of the Milky Way becomes visible on clear winter nights.
Odaigahara, Japan — A 360-Degree Sky from One of Kinki's Darkest Peaks
Odaigahara, Japan — A 360-Degree Sky from One of Kinki's Darkest Peaks
On the border of Nara and Mie Prefectures, Odaigahara rises to 1,695 m. The Hinode-ga-take viewpoint offers one of the darkest skies in the Kinki region, with the Milky Way's dark lanes visible to the naked eye.
Nobeyama Plateau, Japan — Stargazing in the Shadow of the Radio Telescopes
Nobeyama Plateau, Japan — Stargazing in the Shadow of the Radio Telescopes
Home to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Nobeyama Radio Observatory, this 1,350-m plateau in Nagano Prefecture offers Yatsugatake mountain scenery and genuinely dark skies year-round.
M99 (NGC 4254) Observation Guide — Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices
M99 (NGC 4254) Observation Guide — Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices
An observing guide for M99 (NGC 4254). Learn how to locate and observe this Magnitude 9.9 spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices.
M98 (NGC 4192) Observation Guide — Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices
M98 (NGC 4192) Observation Guide — Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices
An observing guide for M98 (NGC 4192). Learn how to locate and observe this Magnitude 10.1 spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices.
M97 — The Owl Nebula: Complete Guide to Ursa Major's Planetary Nebula
M97 — The Owl Nebula: Complete Guide to Ursa Major's Planetary Nebula
An observing guide for the Owl Nebula (M97). Learn how to locate and observe this Magnitude 9.9 planetary nebula in Ursa Major.
M96 (NGC 3368) Observation Guide — Spiral Galaxy in Leo
M96 (NGC 3368) Observation Guide — Spiral Galaxy in Leo
An observing guide for M96 (NGC 3368). Learn how to locate and observe this Magnitude 9.2 spiral galaxy in Leo.
M95 (NGC 3351) Observation Guide — Barred Spiral Galaxy in Leo
M95 (NGC 3351) Observation Guide — Barred Spiral Galaxy in Leo
An observing guide for M95 (NGC 3351). Learn how to locate and observe this Magnitude 9.7 barred spiral galaxy in Leo.
M94 (NGC 4736) Observation Guide — Spiral Galaxy in Canes Venatici
M94 (NGC 4736) Observation Guide — Spiral Galaxy in Canes Venatici
An observing guide for M94 (NGC 4736). Learn how to locate and observe this Magnitude 8.2 spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici.