Star-filled skies in Karoo

by Robin
(Germany)

Set at an altitude of 1500m, Sutherland in Northern Karoo is known for its cold weather and brilliant night skies. It rarely receives rainfall and has no light pollution; when the sun sets you are exposed to a sky that is so bright that you believe you could reach out and touch the stars.

Next to this fact, it is one of the most stable areas in the world - despite being situated near a 66-million year old volcano. This is why you can find the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) here, which is the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere.