What's the best place on Earth for viewing the Milky Way? And when is the best time to see those cute turtle hatchlings on their first journey to the sea? If these are the sorts of questions you find yourself asking, you're in luck: HuffPost Science has pulled together a list of top destinations for science nerds this summer.
Intrigued? Have a look -- and let wanderlust do its thing.
Dive Into Bio-Brilliance
Per-Andre Hoffmann via Getty Images
For a look at some really cool bioluminescent creatures lighting up the sea, you can go to California, Australia, or Indonesia (seen here). But our pick is Puerto Rico, from mid-April to June.
Run With Grunion
arneheijenga/Flickr
Have you ever seen fish take late-night "walks" on the beach? Grunion do this every summer to spawn. Just check out the fishy phenomenon, called the grunion run, at Cabrillo Beach in Southern California during peak spawning in early June.
Get A Great View Of The Milky Way
Adhemar Duro via Getty Images
There may be no better time than the summer to get a good view of the Milky Way. And the closer you are to Earth's equator, the more you can see of our vast galaxy. Chile's Atacama Desert affords some of the best stargazing you can find anywhere on the planet.
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Welcome Baby Sea Turtles Into The World
U.S. National Park Service
For marine biology wonks, few things are as awesome as watching turtle hatchlings take their first swim out to sea. You can see this phenomenon along coasts in many parts of the world -- including the Florida Keys in June or July.
Solve Stonehenge Secrets
Matt Cardy/Getty Images
Thousands of folks gather at Stonehenge each year to watch the sun rise on the first day of summer, June 21. The prehistoric monument has been considered a place of worship and celebration at the time of summer solstice. Stonehenge sits in the modern-day English town of Amesbury.
Get Closer To The Moon, Sort Of
Julia Davila-Lampe via Getty Images
Astronomers say we can expect a spectacular "supermoon" on August 10, 2014, and the best place to view it just might be Mount Chimborazo in central Ecuador. After all, scientists say that's the place on Earth that is closest to the moon.
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Venture To A Restless Volcano
G. Brad Lewis via Getty Images
The eruption of Kīlauea, one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, is currently continuing at two vents on the Big Island of Hawaii. If you want to catch the show, entrance to the site will be free on August 25, 2014, in celebration of the National Park Service's 98th birthday.
See A Smashing Atom-Smasher
CERN
This summer just may be a prime time to visit CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, in Geneva, Switzerland. Why? The lab's powerful Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator is on hiatus until 2015 and available to tour -- along with various exhibits in celebration of the lab's upcoming 60th anniversary in September.
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Before You Go
