Space Travel + Astronomy

It was mere decades ago that the idea of space tourism — not just for astronauts and scientific research but for recreation — was the stuff of science fiction. Today, space travel for the average person is no longer a matter of "if" but "when," thanks to the imaginations of self-funded business magnates with an eye on the sky. Space is the tourism industry’s next frontier, and Travel + Leisure is on the pulse of the technological advancements made toward it becoming a reality. While astronomic prices may put it out of most people's reach for years to come, the rest of us can gaze up at other worlds from our backyards or chase dazzling celestial phenomena like the northern lights.

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Northern lights
You May Be Able to See the Northern Lights This Week — Starting Tonight
Comet
See a Rare Comet, a Meteor Shower, Manhattanhenge, and More This Month
Full Strawberry moon of June rising over Manhattan
From a 'Daytime Meteor Shower,' to Potential Aurora Activity, and a Strawberry Moon — Here's What's What to See in the Sky in June
Milky Way During Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower
From a Meteor Shower Peak to Planet Sightings, Here are the Best Night Sky Sights for May
The last total solar eclipse as seen from Idaho
Everything to Know About the Next 'Great American' Solar Eclipse
Aurora in the night sky of Queenstown, New Zealand
The Northern Lights Have a Southern Hemisphere Counterpart That Is Harder to See — What to Know
Tom Kerss onboard a Hurtigruten ship sailing under the Northern Lights
This Cruise Line Just Appointed Its First-ever 'Chief Aurora Chaser' — and Has a Northern Lights Guarantee
A small plane is silhouetted by the eclipse as it flies thru the path of totality
This Semi-private Jet Company Is Giving Away Seats to See the Solar Eclipse From the Sky — How to Win
Bright jupiter and saturn shining above clouds
Planet Sightings, an Uptick in Aurora Activity, and More Are in Store for March's Night Sky
Aurora Borealis over Kluane Lake in the eponym National Park of the Yukon
What the Northern Lights Mean, According to Indigenous Communities in North America
Strong geomagnetic Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in Iceland
The Northern Lights Could Be Extra Intense and Appear More This Year — Here's Why
The aurora, glowing over Yellowknife city
These Indigenous-led Northern Lights Experiences in Canada Offer Incredible Aurora Viewing and a Deeper Cultural Connection
e second supermoon of 2023, also known as the Sturgeon Moon, rises behind a passenger aircraft in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 1, 2023
What to Know About Tonight's Super Blue Moon — and Why You Won't See Another Until 2037
A former Olympian and a mother-daughter duo from Antigua are Virgin Galactic's first tourists into space.
Virgin Galactic Flies Its First Tourists to Space — Including a Mother-daughter Duo and Former Olympian
Solar eclipse August 21, 2017 at 1:15pm from Wisconsin, USA 85% Coverage
This Is Where You Can See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Across the U.S.
meteor shower
You Can See the 'Pink Moon,' a Meteor Shower, and a Once-in-a-decade Eclipse This April
Jupiter
See Mars, Uranus, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury All at Once in Tonight's Sky
Telescope watching the sky and falling star.
You Can Spot Saturn in the Sky Tomorrow Morning — Here's How
Venus Jupiter conjunction
You'll Be Able to See Planets in the Sky Almost Every Week in March — What to Know
Dark sky night with stars at Jasper National Park
The Jasper Dark Sky Festival Returns This Fall — Here's How to Plan the Perfect Trip
Northern lights, Mount Kirkjufell, Jokulsarlon lagoon, Iceland
Northern Lights, Explained: What They Are and How to See Them
The Delta Aquariids meteor shower and Milky Way over the Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Mt. Adams, Washington State
This Meteor Shower, With Up to 20 Meteors Per Hour, Will Peak This Weekend — When and How to See It
A truck set up for camping at Mt. Ash Farm and Cattle Company
Here’s How You Can Find the Best Camping Destinations for the Total Solar Eclipse Next Year
Supermoon
You Can See 2023's First Supermoon This July — Plus 3 Other Astronomical Events
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower over Babcock Wildlife Refuge, Florida in 2016
See Stars Zoom Across the Sky at 44 Miles Per Second During This Weekend's Meteor Shower
Aerial view of glass top igloos at night in lapland Finland
How to Experience the Northern Lights From a Glass Igloo or Villa in Finland
Northern Lights over Denali National Park, Alaska
7 National Parks Where You May See the Northern Lights
Northern Lights over cabin in Fairbanks, Alaska
This Alaskan City Is a Prime Northern Lights Destination — How to Visit
A astronaut in space with Earth in their helmet reflection
This Is How Cold Space Really Is
Southern Ring Nebula
NASA Just Released the Most-detailed Photos of Space Ever — Take a Look
The sun rises above 42nd Street during a reverse 'Manhattanhenge' in New York, New York photographed from Weehawken, New Jersey on November 24, 2021
Manhattanhenge, a Supermoon, and Meteor Showers Are All Coming in July — Here's When to See Them
Super Flower Moon
'Kissing' Planets, a Super Flower Moon, and Meteor Showers Are Coming — Here's When to See Them
Strawberry Moon in New York City
See a Strawberry Moon, 5 Planets at Once, a Meteor Shower, and More Astro Events This Month
Northern Lights, Kirkjufell Mountain, Snaefellsnes, Iceland
How to See the Northern Lights in Iceland
The Owachomo Natural Bridge spans 180 feet, and stands at a height of 106 feet.
10 Best Places to Stargaze Around the World
Alaska Northern Lights
When and How to See the Northern Lights in Alaska
Halley's Comet
Shooting Stars From the Famous Halley's Comet Will Rain Down on Earth This Week — How to See Them
lofoten islands norway arctic aurora borealis northern lights
Everything You Need to Know to See the Northern Lights in Norway
Northern Lights
Here's How To See the Northern Lights (Video)
Our solar journey through space is carrying us through a cluster of very low density interstellar clouds. Right now the Sun is inside of a cloud (Local cloud) that is so tenuous that the interstellar gas detected by IBEX is as sparse as a handful of air stretched over a column that is hundreds of light years long. These clouds are identified by their motions, indicated in this graphic with blue arrows.
Your Cosmic Address Is the Trippiest Thing You'll Learn Today
Total Solar Eclipse Time Lapse
Two Eclipses Are Coming to North America in the Next Few Years — Here's When and Where to See Them
Photo illustration depicting astronauts (travelers) playing golf on the moon.
Space Tourism Is Here: Booking a Trip to the Final Frontier
MOON coming to Las Vegas is a moon-themed hotel resort
This $5-billion Moon-themed Resort Is Coming to Las Vegas — Complete With an 'Active Lunar Colony' and Spaceship Nightclub
NASA Astronauts in Space
13 Things Tourists Should Know Before Traveling to Space, According to Astronauts
Group of female friends have fun together during a solar eclipse event.
When and When Not to Use Solar Eclipse Glasses — and the Best Pairs to Buy
Chilean and US scientists looking at a solar eclipse from the Union Glacier in Antarctica on December 4, 2021.
I Cruised to Antarctica to See a Solar Eclipse — and It Was the Trip of a Lifetime
Hotel Rangá stargazing observatory seeing the northern lights at night
The Best Hotels Around the World for Stargazing
Grand Canyon
Where and When to Get the Best Photos of the Milky Way This Year
illustration of a spaceship flying
Here's What Actually Happens When You Travel at the Speed of Light, According to NASA
Watching a rocket launch from the beach
The Best Place to Watch a Rocket Launch in the U.S. Might Surprise You
Dennis Tito celebrates after his landing
The World's First Space Tourist Arrived at the International Space Station 20 Years Ago — Here's What He Says About the Trip
Photographs of Earth
60 Years Ago We Saw Earth From Space for the First Time — Here’s How We See It Now (Video)
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly on the International Space Station shows off his personal living quarters in space.
What It's Really Like to Sleep in Space, According to a Former Astronaut Who Spent 520 Nights Doing It
Milky Way over Crater Lake
10 Best National Parks in the U.S. for Stargazing
Night Sky Phenomenon : Earth Shine and The Planets Conjunction (Moon, Jupiter and Venus)
How to Stargaze From Your Backyard
Black hole
Astronomers Just Captured the First Photo of a Black Hole in the Milky Way Galaxy — Take a Look
Voyager Station space hotel renderings
You Might Be Able to Vacation in This Space Hotel by 2030
Aurora's Village
A Canadian Teepee Village Is One of the Best Places to See the Northern Lights
selfie taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover
NASA's Curiosity Rover Takes a Selfie on Mars — Here's How It Happened (Video)