SEIZE THE NIGHT
STARGAZING
Thanks to less light and air pollution, the country’s night skies
are darker than usual. So stay up, head out and go starry-eyedSpread across southern England,
CRANBORNE CHASE offers night-sky
visibility that’s so good it was the first Area
of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in
the UK to be designated an International
Dark Sky Reserve, in October 2019. Cley
Hill, near Warminster, is one the best
spots for stellar views, and you might see
something else, too — it’s said to be a prime
spot for UFO sightings. chasingstars.org.uk
Wales’s rural and rugged
PEMBROKESHIRE COAST NATIONAL PARK
is perfect for enjoying the night skies,
partly due to its distance from big towns
and cities. It has string of designated sites
where visitors can discover the night sky,
including Broadhaven South Beach,
near Stackpole, and Poppit Sands, on
Cardigan Bay. pembrokeshirecoast.wales
Meanwhile, the NORTHUMBERLAND
landscape is always a dramatic backdrop,
but it’s the heavens that steal the show
after dark. Awarded ‘gold’ status by the
International Dark-Sky Association,
the Northumberland InternationalDark Sky Park has the darkest skies in
England. On a clear night at Cawfield
Quarry, beside Hadrian’s Wall, you
can see our neighbouring galaxy,
Andromeda, 2.5 million light-years away.
northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk
Truly escaping light pollution in the
South East can be hard, but the SOUTH
DOWNS offer some of the best places to
stargaze in this corner of England. Visit
Butser Hill in Queen Elizabeth Country
Park, one of Hampshire’s highest points, or
head to Birling Gap near Eastbourne, where
the sky often shimmers with stars over the
English Channel. southdowns.gov.uk
A sparse population in Scotland’s
GALLOWAY FOREST means this woodland
is a haven for astronomers. It became the
UK’s first Dark Sky Park in 2009 and steps
have been taken to ensure light pollution
remains at a minimum. On a clear night
along the A712, which winds through
heathland, you can admire the glittering
Milky Way. forestryandland.gov.scot
CONNOR MCGOVERN1 ENJOY THE VIEW
Don’t try memorising
constellations. With
familiarity, you’ll notice the
patterns stars make — then
you can start putting names to
the constellations.2 LOOK UP
Planets visible with the naked
eye are distinguished from
stars because they don’t
twinkle. Venus and Jupiter
are bright white, Mars is a
baleful red, Saturn is the colour
of straw and Mercury only
appears in twilight.(^3) GEEK OUT
Apps such as Star Rover or Sky
Safari (Android and iOS) are
inexpensive ways to find your
way around the night sky.
SEEING STARS
Dr Stuart Clark’s
top tips
Dr Stuart Clark is the author
of Beneath the Night, which is
available from October 2020,
published by Guardian Faber.
RRP: £14.99 stuartclark.com
IMAGE: GETTY
18 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER
18 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel