SMART TRAVELLER


STARGAZING SEIZE THE NIGHT


Thanks to less light and air pollution, the country’s night skies are darker than usual. So stay up, head out and go starry-eyed


Spread 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 aſter dark. Awarded ‘gold’ status by the International Dark-Sky Association, the Northumberland International


Dark 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 oſten 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 MCGOVERN


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


1 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.


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nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel


IMAGE: GETTY


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