If like us, you watched Brian Cox’s Stargazing series on BBC Two and were fascinated by the wonders of Space then you are going to want to read on. Professor Brian Cox has a talent for explaining Science in a way that makes it so interesting, and that’s exactly what he did with Astronomy. He showed the nation, the spectacularly of the night sky that often goes unnoticed due to common light pollution. After his Stargazing Live show, aired back in June, we wanted to bring you our favourite places to go Stargazing in the UK. Go and enjoy the amazing spectacle of our universe, that the majority of the population doesn’t get to see.
Stargazing In The UK
Ennerdale Valley
The Lake District has one of the best skies in Great Britain. Once you get away from any light pollution the night sky is an amazing spectacle. Ennerdale Valley in Cumbria has zero light pollution and is lit purely by the moon and the stars, making it one of the best places to visit in Cumbria and it’s just over an hour's drive away from Carlisle. At certain times of the year, you will be able to see the phenomena of the Northern Lights, a sight that people travel to places such as Iceland to see.
New Forest National Park
The New Forest National Park benefits from dark night skies, making it a favourite amongst astronomers in the South West of England. Just a 25-minute drive from Bournemouth centre, the New Forest National Park is a great place for stargazing due to light pollution being relatively low here. Several locations in the National Park are perfect spots to gaze away at the stars and the Milky Way Galaxy. There are two astronomy groups that welcome anyone who has an interest in astronomy, they are Fordingbridge Astronomers and New Forest Stargazers.
Galloway Forest Park
Galloway is a just under an hours drive from Irvine. It’s a popular spot for stargazing as it has one of the darkest skies in Scotland. With over 7,000 stars and planets visible to the naked eye, it’s a fantastic place to enjoy the stars. The bright band of the Milky Way is easy to spot arching across the sky. Loch Trool is a popular spot within the park for stargazing.
Snowdonia National Park
Snowdonia National Park can be reached in an hour's drive from Chester and it became Wales’ second destination to be awarded Interaction Dark Sky status. Snowdonia is home to the breathtaking Mount Snowdon, making it a beautiful spot to observe the stars and planets within our galaxy.
North York Moors
The North York Moors National Park is reachable by car from Hull in just over an hour. It offers big open skies and when night dawns it becomes one of the best places in the country for a view beneath the stars. The low levels of light pollution make it a favourite amongst astronomers as the dark sky allows for visibility that you just couldn’t get in the city.
If this blog has inspired you to leave the lights of the city and get out into the open to view the ravishing sights of the night sky, then try and tick each of these places of your astronomy bucket list. Make a weekend of it, with one of our
28 hotels being under an hours drive from these popular stargazing in the UK spots.
