A view of the night sky in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Carl Jones The night sky is an amazing thing. It's like a map, showing us our place in this vast, ever-expanding universe. And it's like a time machine, allowing us to see billions of years back in time — the amount of time it takes light from some of the most distant cosmic objects to reach us.

But when it comes to observing the night sky, not all places are equal. If you were to step out on the street in, say, New York City, you might be able to see a tiny speckling of stars across a hazy sky, at best.

There are a lot of factors that work together to create optimal stargazing conditions. The higher the altitude of a site, the drier the air, and the further it is from the light pollution of cities, the more stars you can see in the night sky.

If you're ever in the mood for a night of stargazing (and have access to a jet plane), here are a few spots you should check out.