South Downs Dark Skies Festival: How you can involved in this year's events

​Now in its sixth year the popular two week event starts on Saturday, February 4 until Friday, February 17.

The line up includes stargazing sessions at 450ft, guided walks through the solar system, star parties, nocturnal wildlife, celestial storytelling and planetarium shows.

Dan Oakley, a lead ranger for the National Park, said: “We believe the skies above our head are as important as the landscape beneath our feet and the stunning starry nights are part of what makes the South Downs so special.

“The beauty of our International Dark Sky Reserve is how accessible it is and we’re proud to have ten discovery sites that offer wonderful stargazing opportunities for everyone, whether you’re a novice or seasoned astronomer.

“As well as being beautiful to look at, dark skies are also vital for nature to flourish as so many nocturnal and crepuscular wildlife rely on the natural rhythm of day into night.”

The festival celebrates the National Park’s status as one of 20 International Dark Reserves in the world, recognising it as one of the best places globally to capture immense views of the stars.

The South Downs National Park is a certified Dark Sky Reserve and along the South Coast from Cuckmere Haven to Birling Gap, many astro-photographers gather to take advantage of the dark skies.

Further West, the ‘core’ area of the South Downs Dark Skies stretches along the Hampshire/Sussex border and East along the downs above Midhurst and Pulborough.

In East Sussex, travel up into the High Weald and you’ll find many places where you can get away from the worst of the light pollution.

The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Nature at Night’, there is a free downloadable pack of resources for the whole family, including useful stargazing guides and cosmic colouring sheets of the planets and nocturnal wildlife such as badgers, barn owls and hedgehogs.

Throughout the two weeks breathtaking imagery will be shared from the National Park’s astrophotography competition.

Among the events will be a 45-minute stargazing ride in Brighton’s i360 pod.

As you glide to 450ft, Dan Oakley and the Dark Skies team will hold a talk on ‘Harry Potter’s Guide to the sky’.

The talk will feature a brief explanation of International Dark Sky Reserve as well as describe other wonderful and fascinating facts about the beautiful sights to be seen under the dark sky. While on board there will be also be an opportunity to explore the views from the Brighton i360 pod through telescopes. There will be a chance to see the Moon, Venus or the Orion Nebula through a large telescope (weather dependent).

There is also a fun ‘Walk The Planets’ experience at the picturesque locations of Seven Sisters Country Park, Queen Elizabeth Country Park and Hogmoor Inclosure.

Performance storyteller Dawn Nelson will be sharing fascinating folklore from the Milky Way galaxy with bite-size videos, mini-podcasts and live sessions.

Astronomers from South Downs Planetarium and Winchester Science Centre will be hosting stargazing sessions, with the chance to use professional telescopes that show stars millions of light years away.

Joshua Esan, engagement and events officer for the National Park, said: “We think everyone should be able to experience the wonder of our dark skies and learn about the incredible biodiversity that emerges when the sun goes down.

“As always, we are very dependent on the weather, so please do check our website and social media channels on the day of attending one of the stargazing sessions or walks.

“Many of the events you can just turn up to, while some need to be booked in advance, so please do check the programme carefully.”

For more details and the full programme visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/dark-night-skies/dark-skies-festival/

To download a free Dark Sky Discovery pack visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/dark-night-skies/dark-skies-festival/resources-and-activities/

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