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:

Perfect, pastoral Palouse
Park of the Monsters
Oct 12, 2025Village of Saranac Lake, New York, United States
Mar 10, 2024Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, India
Nature’s own canvas
Black sands in a tropical paradise
Nov 29, 2023New York City, USA
A gorge-ous place to drop in
Jan 7, 2026Old Rock Day
Spanning the soft sunlight
Aug 25, 2023Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Aug 17, 2024Alfanzina lighthouse, Algarve, Portugal
An iridescent view
Mar 3, 2025World Wildlife Day
Hide-and-go-seek world champion
Jun 8, 2025World Oceans Day
Mar 29, 2024South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK
May 12, 2024Mothers Day
This blue succulent is as good as gold here
Oct 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York
Jul 30, 2024San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
Nov 1, 2023Haut-Barr Castle, Vosges
Jul 9, 2025Independence Day of the Argentine Republic
Aug 22, 2024Aerial view of Ocean City, Maryland, USA
The butterfly effect
A glowing square of squares
Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Feb 21, 2025Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Aug 26, 2025Sørvágsvatn lake, island of Vágar, Faroe Islands
Jun 1, 2026Palermo, Sicily, Italy