Clouds may obstruct the night sky, but a celestial connection can still be established sans stars
In the heart of Lancashire, the annual Forest of Bowland Dark Skies Festival at the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory in Preston offers a captivating stargazing experience for all. The event, attended by Dermot Gethings, the vice chair of Preston's Astronomical Society, showcases a large, aged metal telescope as its centrepiece, located in a small room.
Amidst the festival, a participant marvels at the constellations, feeling the same awe as with the meteorite held by Dermot Gethings. The small chunk of meteorite, estimated to be 4.5 billion years old, has a reddish tinge, a smooth metallic surface, an irregular shape with random indentations, and is surprisingly heavy for its size. Holding the meteorite, the individual contemplates the journey it must have endured and feels awestruck by the millions of miles it traveled.
The festival participant catches glimpses of stars through light pollution, but the experience is still mesmerising. For those who wish to learn more about constellations, stargazing apps can be a helpful tool.
Being an armchair astronomer is accessible, as the speaker at the festival emphasises. Attending astronomy events like the Dark Skies Festival can captivate anyone. Jupiter, despite a continuous sheet of cloud blocking most starlight, is visible through the telescope, adding to the festival's allure.
The UK offers several excellent locations for stargazing, with many sites boasting minimal light pollution and exceptional dark skies. The Northumberland Dark Sky Park, Europe's largest protected dark sky park, offers breathtaking stargazing opportunities, with frequent sightings of the Milky Way and occasional shooting stars.
Cairngorms National Park in Scotland is another fantastic spot for stargazing, known for having some of the darkest skies in the UK. Exmoor National Park, Devon, and Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales also provide clear views of the night sky due to their remote locations and minimal light pollution.
Dark Sky Wales, located in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, offers guided tours and stargazing sessions using telescopes to explore the night sky. Meanwhile, stargazing in a city can be challenging, but worth the effort, as evidenced by the participant's mesmerised departure from the observatory.
For a more immersive stargazing experience, the participant stays in a cosy hut at the Dark-Sky-accredited Bowland Escapes. Leaving the festival, the participant feels a sense of connection to something bigger, a testament to the power of stargazing to inspire awe and wonder.
- Despite the presence of light pollution during the festival, a participant finds the stargazing experience mesmerising.
- Stargazing apps can be beneficial for those who wish to learn more about constellations.
- The Dark Skies Festival at the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory in Preston is an accessible event for armchair astronomers.
- The UK has several excellent locations for stargazing, such as Northumberland Dark Sky Park, Cairngorms National Park, and Exmoor National Park.
- Dark Sky Wales offers guided tours and stargazing sessions for a more immersive experience.
- The group involved in environmental-science, space-and-astronomy, and lifestyle can enjoy sustainable-living experiences like staying at Dark-Sky-accredited homes-and-garden, such as Bowland Escapes, to deepen their connection to the universe.
