Aït Benhaddou, Morocco Nov 9, 2024

Aït Benhaddou, Morocco

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 gets its name from the way it 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 ksar—a kind of fortified village—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

Look, but don’t touch
Nov 9, 2023Birch trees, Drammen, Norway
Nov 9, 2025Interstellar clouds in the Lagoon Nebula

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 29, 2024Gollinger Waterfalls, Salzburg, Austria
Apr 10, 2024Dragon waterfall, Venezuela
Jan 6, 2024A male chaffinch in a crab apple tree
Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and anemone wildflowers, Jutland, Denmark
Happy birthday Badlands National Park
Nov 28, 2024Murudeshwara Temple, Murdeshwar, Karnataka
Oct 22, 2025Belogradchik Rocks, Bulgaria
Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Dec 12, 2025Poinsettia: A winter classic
Nov 14, 2023Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
What are they celebrating?
Sep 12, 2023North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
Oct 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York
The top of Tennessee
Aug 16, 2025Colourful beehives, Italy
Oct 15, 2023European hedgehog
Clouds dance above Sundance
Apr 19, 2025Zion National Park, Utah, United States
Twinkle twinkle, little bugs
The Royal touch
Nov 24, 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh
In the tropics, land greets sea warmly
Oct 13, 2025Fishing boat on beach in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu
Aug 11, 2024Wooden path to Kennedy Lake, Vancouver Island, Canada
Mar 16, 2024Giant panda eating bamboo
Apr 25, 2024Adélie penguins
This island is more than a mile high
Jan 31, 2025Happy International Zebra Day!
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States