Erg Chigaga · 30°29′N 6°06′W · Bortle Class 1
A nomadic observatory at the edge of the Sahara. Where starlight casts shadows, the Milky Way has texture, and every night is an event.
See the retreatsأمنية Umnya means "wish" in Berber. At Erg Chigaga, hundreds of shooting stars cross the sky each night, your wishes stand a better chance here.
01 · Data
Comparison based on measured SQM readings. Umnya is one of the darkest accessible observing sites on Earth. The only one in North Africa.
02 · Reference
Measured SQM in mag/arcsec². The higher the value, the darker the sky.
03 · Programs
From a discovery night to a two-week residency. Each program includes full-board hospitality at the camp, transfers from M'Hamid, and nights guided by our partner astronomer.
01 / 04 Your first encounter with a truly dark sky. For families, couples, and the simply curious.
02 / 04 Seven nights around new moon. Designed by amateur astronomers, for amateur astronomers.
03 / 04 For astronomy clubs, university groups, scientific associations. Camp privatisation with dedicated programming.
04 / 04 Fourteen nights, a dedicated pad, silent 12V/220V power. For those chasing the one image.
04 · Windows
Eight tents maximum per session. Click a window to request a slot.
05 · Journey
Choose a retreat or an event date. We confirm within 48h with a tailored proposal.
We can arrange airport pick-up. Direct flights from most European capitals, 3–4h.
A panoramic drive across the High Atlas to M'Hamid. We coordinate a private 4×4.
The final 90 minutes by 4×4 into the Erg Chigaga. The silence starts before the camp does.
06 · Your first night
The actual rhythm of one evening at the camp.
Mint tea in the shade, celestial briefing, the night's targets explained.
Seasonal tagine, bread cooked in the embers. The sky is still blue. Venus appears.
Thirty minutes without white light. Red headlamps only. First binoculars come out.
Deep-sky targets, charts in hand. Andromeda, M13, Carina or Orion depending on season.
Back to the fire. Gnawa music, an infusion. The dunes glow white under the Milky Way.
07 · Voices
"The first time I saw Saturn from Umnya, I thought it was a projection. Then I remembered: this is just the real sky."Farid K. · Société Astronomique de Casablanca
"We privatised the camp for twelve club members. Three nights, zero clouds, 1.1 arc-second seeing. A hard standard to match anywhere else."Heinrich M. · Club President · Vereinigung der Sternfreunde
"For long-exposure work, Erg Chigaga rivals Atacama with far better logistics."Sara P. · Independent Astrophotographer
08 · The Camp
Umnya Astro is the observation program of Umnya Desert Camp, a family Berber camp in the Erg Chigaga since 2014. Eight tents, full-board cuisine, gnawa evenings. The kind of hospitality that makes long observing nights bearable.
Visit Umnya Desert Camp09 · Tonight
A schematic of the celestial sphere over Erg Chigaga. Constellations rotate slowly with the sidereal day. Visible to the naked eye, every clear night.
Sky bulletin