The night sky is one of the joys of a winter in North East Wales. Much of the UK and Europe is afflicted by light pollution, but here in Wales there are hundreds of places to experience the beauty of our dark skies. Wales now has a network of International Dark Sky Reserves and Dark Sky Parks that astronomers have singled out as world-beating places to go stargazing. Our AONB is in the process of applying for International Dark Sky Association for Dark Sky status and has also just taken delivery of a mobile observatory which comes in the form a converted camper van kitted out with telescopes, charts, cameras and other equipment, which will support Dark Skies events when we are able to get out again.
As the nights draw in and the skies get dark for longer as we move into winter all you need to do is wrap up warm get outside on a clear night and observe the beauty of the stars and constellations above. At this time of year, you may be able to observe the constellation of Lyra with its brightest star Vega, Hyades, The Perseus double cluster, the Orion Nebula, the beehive cluster and Andromeda. Why not set yourself a challenge to see how many you can identify? Just keep looking up.
If you want to learn more we have an on line talk in our Tourism Forum by Denbighshire’s Dark Sky Officer – Danielle Robertson. Please register here if you are interested.
All photography owned by North East Wales Partnership taken as part of
North East Wales Tourism Winter photography project by Craig Colville.