Aït Benhaddou, Morocco Nov 9, 2024

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:

Go fly a kite!
Jan 24, 2026Andermatt village in the Alps, Switzerland
Apr 13, 2025Songkran—Thai New Year
The butterfly effect
Apr 12, 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
May 30, 2026Plains zebra foal in Etosha National Park, Namibia
Sept 2, 2026Beach huts, Southwold, Suffolk Heritage Coast, England
Dec 14, 2025Royal Bengal tiger
Jan 15, 2025Chital, Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh
Apr 21, 2026European hedgehog, France
Jan 15, 2026The fishing village of Reine, Norway
Nov 15, 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Dec 1, 2025Antarctica Day
May 9, 2026Skradinski Buk Waterfall, Krka National Park, Croatia
Jan 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Oct 20, 2024International Sloth Day
Jan 21, 2025Eurasian red squirrel
Aug 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
A breathtaking cave when it’s cold
Oct 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
Fourth rock from the sun
Nov 1, 2023Haut-Barr Castle, Vosges
Sep 1, 2025Great Basin National Park, Nevada, United States
Aug 18, 2025Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York, United States
Jan 19, 2026Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada
In the tropics, land greets sea warmly
Jul 24, 2025Adalaj Stepwell, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Bridging the gap two ways
A remote oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert
Jan 31, 2025Happy International Zebra Day!