Star Gazing

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Our area is Europe’s largest certified Dark Sky Park.

It is scientifically proven to be the most tranquil place in England, and certainly has the least light pollution.

On a clear night at Burnfoot the amount of stars on view to the naked eye is breathtaking enough, but a view through a powerful telescope is unforgettable.

Local astronomer Ian Glendinning offers stargazing evenings here at Burnfoot on Saturday evenings from mid-September to mid-March.

The evenings start with an introduction to the sheer vastness of space, the number of visible objects in the sky, and instruction in how to locate the north star and some of the prominent constellations.

You then have a chance to find some planets with binoculars and then two extremely powerful telescopes. Everyone who sees Saturn through one of these telescopes is rendered speechless!

The telescopes can then be used to enhance the visibility of deep space objects such as galaxies, nebula and star clusters – and the things you see can be photographed and emailed to you as a keepsake of your experience.

If the atmospheric conditions are right on the night you could even get to see the aurora borealis (northern lights).

Saturday evenings from 8pm, mid-September to mid-March. Costs are a very reasonable £10 per adult and £5 per child – reduced rates for parties larger than one family. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Wrap up warm!

Ian only comes to Burnfoot if guests want him to so pre-booking is essential – he can be contacted by email at dueshill@tiscali.co.uk or telephone 01669 640 214 (home) / 07795 465748 (mobile) and it’s best to book in advance of your stay.