Baa Atoll, Maldives

Stargazing in Asia doesn’t get much better than when combined with the crystal clear waters, coral beaches and luxury resorts have long lured travellers to the Maldives. Lately, stargazing has become an added draw as awareness spreads of the lack of artificial light and air pollution – plus the frequent green flash phenomena seen during its brilliant pink-hued sunsets. The equatorial latitude means that the sun and moon rise vertically, with the ‘horns’ of a crescent moon facing upwards, creating a floating bowl effect. Stargazers regularly report naked-eye sightings of the Southern Cross, Rigel and Betelgeuse (red and blue supergiants), while the Andromeda galaxy, the southern Pleiades and the colourful NGC 4755, known as the Jewel Box cluster, are visible through binoculars. Telescopes can pinpoint even more distant sites like the Crab Nebula, Large Magellanic Cloud, smoke rings, double stars and the NGC 3242, nicknamed the Ghost of Jupiter.