Atacama Desert, Chile

As the driest non-polar desert on Earth, receiving just 15 millimeters of rainfall annually, the Atacama offers the best stargazing conditions worldwide—with 330 clear nights per year and an average seeing of 0.6 arcseconds. Salt flats host vibrant flamingo colonies, while the Tatio Geysers erupt at dawn from elevations of 4,500 meters, reaching steam plumes 10 meters high. Though the Namib's #4 dunes are more dramatic in color, the Atacama's astronomical clarity is 20% superior to Wadi Rum's, and its geyser field is three times larger than any comparable site in the Sahara.