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

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:

Sway with the Amazonian canopy
The other continent down under
A flashy, frigid waterfowl
Pretty in pink
Oct. 25, 2024Frankenstein Friday
Widespread and long-eared
May 2, 2025Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
Oct. 29, 2025Ancient til trees in Fanal Forest, Madeira, Portugal
Jun. 9, 2025Old City of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia, Croatia
Apr. 19, 2025Zion National Park, Utah, United States
Nov. 4, 2023American bison
May 16, 2025Endangered Species Day
Three petals and three leaves
Aug. 25, 2023Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Nov. 1, 2023Kenny Lake, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Jan. 27, 2025Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Apr. 5, 2025Gaztelugatxe islet at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
Jan. 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Aug. 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Sep. 15, 2024Ouimet Canyon in the Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park
This clever bird passes with flying colours
Look up, incoming…
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Jan. 5, 2025Plum-headed parakeet
Aug. 22, 2025Rolling hills of the Palouse, Washington, United States
Nov. 8, 2023West Indian manatees, Crystal River
Huddled and hunting
Sep. 17, 2025A young bull moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Dec. 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Stepping back in time