Stargazing evening

Richard Darn of the Dark Skies Project staged a free stargazing event at the Village Hall as part of the Howardian Hills AONB Dark Skies project. Unfortunately, bad weather and poor visibility prevented an exploration of Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s spot close up. However, Richard gave an informative and colourful presentation about the night sky (and Saturn’s rings). Richard attracted a large turnout of adults and children.

Apart from telling us more about the night sky, Richard spent some time emphasising the importance of preserving the dark at night. Light pollution makes it difficult to see the night sky’s wonders (although Richard explained that The Howardian Hills is one of the least light-polluted areas of the country). Richard also emphasised the damage caused by light at night to nocturnal wildlife, the energy wasted and the impact on human health. The North York Moors National park has provided a brochure with tips to protect our dark skies.

You can read a separate article by Richard elsewhere on this website and follow the link below for more information about the Dark Skies project and the effects of light pollution.

(Photo: Northern Lights over the Howardian Hills by Chris Lowther)

Useful links

Click on the links below to access sites mentioned in the article

The Dark Skies Flyer

Read and download the North Yorkshire Council Dark Skies flyer.

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