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Stargazing in Iceland is often unlike anywhere in the world. Iceland’s pure, unspoiled night sky offering visitors a good chance of experiencing a display of the lights for approximately 8 months of the year. The exceptional clarity of the night sky in Iceland makes it the perfect location for stargazing and the lure of the northern lights attracts thousands of visitors from all over the globe, each hoping for that ‘bucket list’ experience.
Northern Lights & Geothermal Hot Tubs
Hotel Rangá is, without a doubt, one of the best places in the world to pursue your stargazing in Iceland quest. In fact, Hotel Rangá even boasts its own purpose-built observatory. Voted one of the top destinations in the world by the Telegraph and the Times newspapers, Hotel Rangá offers its guests a northern lights wake-up service where guests are helped into arctic snowsuits and handed hot toddies on their way to see the lights in their unimaginable beauty.
View the vast night skies from your balcony. Or perhaps you might lie back on one of the stargazing recliners located at Hotel Rangá’s entrance. Better still, enjoy a late-night dip in one of the outdoor hot-tubs and celebrate the magic of the Milky Way with a glass of schnapps in hand – a real once in a lifetime experience.
The stargazing experience to a whole new level
If you take your stargazing a little more seriously then make your way to the state-of-the-art observatory located just a 5-minute walk from the hotel. On most clear nights Sævar Helgi Bragason, one of Iceland’s leading astronomy-experts, is on hand to guide you through the constellations using high-spec telescopes that open-up endless new worlds floating in the dark skies above Iceland’s volcanic land.
Rangá’s observatory allows guests to take the stargazing experience to a whole new level. The tranquillity, complexity, and beauty of Iceland’s sky at night draws visitors to return time and time again.
How to Continue Studying the Stars
If you have been bitten by the stargazing bug, here are a few simple ideas for continuing your interest.
- Familiarise yourself with the more obvious, visible markers and constellations. These will help you become comfortable and confident and act as a simple map of the sky. Pick out patterns such as The Plough and Orion. Then, add more points of reference as you become more familiar.
- Buy a good pair of binoculars. These allow you to see further into the sky. View the Milky Way and groups of stars such as the Seven Sisters and clouds of gas including the Orion Nebula.
- Find a location that has as little light pollution as possible as street lights create a glare. Find a tranquil spot away from the interference of city lights. Allow your eyes to re-adjust from electric lights and gently focus on the darkness.
- Ensure you are warm and comfortable, you need patience and planning to really enjoy the stargazing experience to its fullest. What’s more, is a good idea to take a sun-lounger or deck-chair with you to avoid neck-ache.
- Share your passion with others. For example, join a club or society that have a telescope. Support your local observatory and involve children. Nothing is more magical than seeing the young learning about the great sky at night
