Aït Benhaddou, Morocco Nov 9, 2024

Get ready for a starry Moroccan night! Stargazing here is truly magical, as the vast skies and minimal light pollution transform each evening into a dazzling display. Every star you see is part of our galaxy, the Milky Way, which appears as a creamy band of light in the darkest skies. In today"s image, you can see this cosmic beauty glowing over Aït Benhaddou, a historic fortified village known as a ksar, in the Ouarzazate province of Morocco. This site was first fortified in the 11th century. It was a key stop on the ancient caravan trade route connecting the Sahara and the city of Marrakesh. Perched on a hillside by the Ounila River, this village is a cluster of buildings encircled by a protective wall, complete with towers and a gate.

© Cavan Images/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Nov 9, 2018Let’s go foraging
Nov 9, 2019We heart Berlin
Nov 9, 2020Autumn in Piedmont
Nov 9, 2021Dalyan, Turkey
Nov 9, 2022European hedgehog in Sussex, England
Nov 9, 2023Birch trees, Drammen, Norway
Nov 9, 2025Carl Sagan Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 23, 2023The lights of Paris
Jul 22, 2022Our Lady of the Rocks
Oct 26, 2022Brocken spectre in Central Balkan National Park, Bulgaria
Apr 8, 2018It’s Draw a Bird Day
Nov 13, 2024Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
Jun 24, 2020Midsummer in Sweden
Dec 6, 2020A hidden jewel in Croatia
Apr 14, 2022Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Aug 10, 2021Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on the institution s 175th anniversary
Jun 4, 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eaters, Bardia National Park, Nepal
Jul 2, 2021A meerkat stands alone
Nov 12, 2022Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
Oct 31, 2025Happy Halloween!
Nov 12, 2018Honoring those who served
Jan 28, 2019Ancient groves in Australia
Aug 23, 2024Prasat Phanom Rung temple ruins, Thailand
Jul 14, 2019Nesting season for the leatherbacks
Dec 17, 2021Bournemouth beach huts
Nov 21, 20222022 FIFA World Cup
Jan 2, 2020Winter in the Finnish wilds
May 2, 2024Craters of the Moon centennial
May 31, 2020Welcome to the pack
Oct 10, 2022Indigenous Peoples Day
Aug 4, 2020Into the woods
Mar 19, 2019The smoke before the bonfire
May 8, 2022Mother s Day
Jul 29, 2023International Tiger Day
May 18, 2020Desert rose of Qatar
Oct 14, 2022Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
May 9, 2018Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa