Sometimes we get the idea to hike somewhere—like the Sabertse Pass towards Altihut, on the way to Mount Kazbek—just to admire the stars and the Perseid meteor shower. And occasionally, we actually do it. The question of why we do it usually hits us later, when we return home completely exhausted from the night hike. Because the "why" is a very valid question.
Gudauri is located at an altitude of 2,200 meters. There is no lighting near our houses other than what we've installed ourselves: spotlights triggered by timers or motion sensors. We have pitch-black darkness. The kind of absolute dark you only find in the south.
In other words, if you want to stargaze, doing it from 2,200 meters is effortless. The layer of the atmosphere is noticeably thinner. Dust, smog, and summer haze remain far below in the valleys. All you need to do is step outside the house, lie on the ground, and watch. Or set up a telescope and do the same.
We haven't yet officially certified ourselves for astrophysical observation standards, but given the total absence of light pollution, we easily meet the Dark Sky criteria. We will definitely get certified soon.
The terraces at our properties face the mountains. This makes them perfect, flat platforms for setting up heavy telescopes and professional gear to shoot deep-space objects, nebulae, and meteor showers—like the August Perseids—with maximum contrast.
Come for the stars. From our place, they are much closer.