Guardian list of UK dark skies sites

[MikeWilson]

I'm in Berkshire. It's too close to London for any dark skies. And Reading and Slough pumping even more light up there. Though apparently around Henley it's supposed to be not too bad...

I'm tempted to invest in a selection of narrowband filters. It's going to be more or less the only way I get to 'see' anything from my location

I can see the moon and Jupiter and a few stars. Fortunately I can barely see Polaris so I am at least able to align.

My in-laws have a beautiful garden in the Hampshire countryside with relatively dark skies that, on occasion, shows the milky way. Once I know what I'm doing I'll be making regular trips there, I think!

[AndyH]

West coast of Arran, over on Kintyre and up the west coast. As long as you're not in towns, it's as black as a very black thing.

Andy.

[BAZ Senior]

There is no mention of the Yorkshire moors either, there are area's between Ripon and Pately Bridge that are very dark. We stayed at Winksley, and the Milky Way was very clear.

[iamjulian]

Yes, not convinced either, but at least it is another article about dark skies and may get a few more people who live near to those areas to pop out and have a look at the stars.

[Dangerous-Dave]

In an article about the announcement of Sark as the world's first 'dark-skies island', the Guardian published this morning a list of "the best places to see stars in Britain":

• Sark
  
• Kielder forest, Northumberland
  
• Galloway forest, Scotland
  
• Kelling heath, Norfolk
  
• Stonehenge, Wiltshire
  
• Wenlock Edge, Shropshire
  
• Winsford Hill, Somerset
  
• Mam Tor, Derbyshire
  
• Black Down, Sussex
  
• Knighton, Powys
  
• Penbryn Beach, Ceredigion
  

A couple of those are accessible to me. Anyone have a longer list or want to agree or disagree with this list?

old_eyes

Two huge omissions - North Devon and the Higlands and Islands of Scotland.

I suspect Wenlock Edge and Mam Tor are there by virtue of being the nearest dark sites to major conurbations.

Even at Kielder, you can still see faint light domes from Newcastle and Carlisle, I don't think there's anywhere in this country you could call truly "dark".

[JamesF]

Two huge omissions - North Devon and the Higlands and Islands of Scotland.

Winsford Hill is on Exmoor, barely three miles from the north Devon border with Somerset. They didn't miss it by *that* much.

James

[old_eyes]

North Wales gets no mention Surprised there as we have plenty as you get in land

Knighton, Powys is in mid-wales;)

So which would you pick in North Wales? As I live in North-East Wales I would be interested in your favourites.

old_eyes

[AlexB]

I'm in Berkshire. It's too close to London for any dark skies. And Reading and Slough pumping even more light up there. Though apparently around Henley it's supposed to be not too bad...

My opinion is your best bet is between Reading and Wallingford, there are some spots around there which get pretty dark.

[Nick R]

Knighton, Powys is in mid-wales;)

So which would you pick in North Wales? As I live in North-East Wales I would be interested in your favourites.

old_eyes

Top of snowdon is good

I have a very nice site nr to Ruthin

[laser_jock99]

In an article about the announcement of Sark as the world's first 'dark-skies island', the Guardian published this morning a list of "the best places to see stars in Britain":

• Sark
  
• Kielder forest, Northumberland
  
• Galloway forest, Scotland
  
• Kelling heath, Norfolk
  
• Stonehenge, Wiltshire
  
• Wenlock Edge, Shropshire
  
• Winsford Hill, Somerset
  
• Mam Tor, Derbyshire
  
• Black Down, Sussex
  
• Knighton, Powys
  
• Penbryn Beach, Ceredigion
  

I made some 'light pollution maps' of the above sites. Note- these are all at the same scale with the area of interest at dead centre (unless arrowed).

Black Down, Sussex

Winsford Hill, Exmoor

Wenlock Edge, Shropshire

Stonehenge

Penbryn Beach

[MikeWilson]

wow ^ please can you do one of Farnborough/Farnham/Basingstoke/Aldershot or tell us how you did those?

[laser_jock99]

Mam Tor, Derbyshire

Knighton Powys

Kielder Forest

Kelling Heath, Norfolk

Galloway Forest

Not mentioned- but my recomedation, Elan Valley Powys

As you can see there are some striking differences in light pollution levels amongst these site. In general though- avoid populated regions!!

[laser_jock99]

wow ^ please can you do one of Farnborough/Farnham/Basingstoke/Aldershot or tell us how you did those?

Made using the AVEX light pollution maps with Google Earth overlay

http://www.avex-asso.org/dossiers/pl/uk/index.html

This is a fully zoomable map- which is why I need to keep each area at the same scale for a direct comparison.

[JamesF]

Those are excellent maps, and very interesting, too. Thank you for posting them.

I'm just outside Brompton Ralph which appears towards the top right of the Winsford Hill map (between the somewhat larger "blobs" for Wiveliscombe to the south and Watchet to the north), though I'm actually about a mile to the south-east of it. The village itself can't be more than a dozen and a half houses and I'd never have believed it might show up on an LP map. It's not even as if it has any streetlights or other illuminated street "furniture". I can't remember if they illuminate the church. I'll have to check next time I'm over there.

Some of the other maps are quite shocking. Perhaps I've been living in the country too long

James

[mikeknowle]

Laser_jock99 you are a star!

I'm just checking the http://www.avex-asso.org/dossiers/pl/uk/index.html site out right now, as had not come across it before.

I'm fortunate enough (for me) to drive around the UK on a regular basis from just south of Birmingham (poor-ish sky, but we make do with what we have....) to places like Snowdonia, East Anglia (I was in Cambridgeshire this week), Scotland, Devon etc. and am always comparing the skies visually.

Just reseaching now a portable Dob. to keep in the back of the car for such journeys.....so I can divert to a suitable place....set-up in a few minutes and just enjoy the sky for an hour and then drive on.....so will see how I can use this nakedeye UK light pollution map to plan my route.

Cheers

Mike

[MikeWilson]

This is a good map.

I like in a shocking pink zone. My in laws in a green zone. I think I need to keep a mobile setup until I settle down somewhere nice and dark in however-long-away it is until we move house.

[yesyes]

Thanks a lot for that link. Very very map useful indeed !! ;-)

[old_eyes]

Made using the AVEX light pollution maps with Google Earth overlay

http://www.avex-asso.org/dossiers/pl/uk/index.html

This is a fully zoomable map- which is why I need to keep each area at the same scale for a direct comparison.

Thanks for the link and work in picking out the areas. Now working my way through possible dark sky sites conveneient to me.

Enjoyed your photos a lot. Nice rig with a history to tell I would think

old_eyes

[Dangerous-Dave]

Made using the AVEX light pollution maps with Google Earth overlay

http://www.avex-asso.org/dossiers/pl/uk/index.html

This is a fully zoomable map- which is why I need to keep each area at the same scale for a direct comparison.

Interesting - I use the avex maps regularly (mainly to plan my holidays in France!) but they differ widely from the Phillips and CfDS maps. When I referred to North Devon I was thinking of the area bordering Cornwall not Somerset:

UK Dark Sky Map

They don't fare so well on the Avex map!

[JamesF]

When I referred to North Devon I was thinking of the area bordering Cornwall not Somerset

Ahhh. I always think of that as west Devon. Geography's quite a fluid thing as far as I'm concerned though.

James

[StarryEyes]

I've been to Church Stretton (just down the road from Wenlock Edge) a few times and have always been spellbound by how much you can actually see. I found the Milky Way very prominent from there.

[Dreamsphere]

Thanks for this. A very useful site.

Made using the AVEX light pollution maps with Google Earth overlay

http://www.avex-asso.org/dossiers/pl/uk/index.html

This is a fully zoomable map- which is why I need to keep each area at the same scale for a direct comparison.