20


Weekend It’s The


The GreatOutdoors


southwalesargus.co.uk


Saturday, October 26, 2013 Starring role for Beacons


THE nights are drawing in – and it’s the perfect time to get out and spot some stars. The Brecon Beacons is


one of the best places in the world for stargazers. Despite being just north


of Cardiff, Newport and those cities’ vast light sources, in February the Beacons became only the fifth national park in the world to be given Interna- tional Dark Sky Reserve status by the American- based International Dark- Sky Association after a two year-long campaign. The association seeks to praise national parks that are especially good at keep- ing their skies clear and free of light for astrono- mers to survey the night sky.


Jim Wilson, volunteered


to help run the Brecon Beacons Dark Sky initiative in conjunction with his role as chairman of the Brecon Beacons Park Society. The society is a volunteer organisation which seeks to improve and protect the na- tional park with the official body, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. On the issue of dark skies on Brecon Beacons and how


he helped secure the award, he said: “I could talk for days on it. “I’m a city kid, raised


in central Glasgow. When we used to go on holiday, for a fortnight, I realised the stars were there all the time, not just when I went outside the city.” And there began his passion for stargazing. Jim has lived just north


of Brecon for 15 years. He moved, after living in Bath for a time, when he realised he was going to the Brecon Beacons very frequently – so he decided to move there. Jim’s clearly proud the na- tional park won the award. But it was close. Due to the International Dark-Sky Association’s strict criteria, hundreds of light readings had to be taken. The core area of the park had to be 66 per cent compliant with the association’s rules and readings – Brecon Beacons’ readings were 67 per cent compliant. Martin Griffiths, who


works as a senior lecturer in astronomy at the Univer- sity of South Wales, also worked on the project to secure the award for about a year and a half.


STARGAZING: Sheep on the Brecon Beacons in a picture by Michael Sinclair. Courtesy of darkskyeditions.co.uk


FEEL THE WARMTH WITH UNDERFLOORHEATING


50% OFF SHOWER PANE FROMLS WETWALL


VIS USIT IN STORE


TI &LES BATHROOMS


SEE IN STORE FOR DETAILS


VISIT S TILEANDBATHCO.COM


SEE & FEEL U ONLINE


TY


CARDIFF, CF11 8NN PENARTH ROAD


NEWPORT, NP 2NY20 OPPOSITE TK MAXX


THE QUALI IN STORE


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11