A national park's dark sky festival includes activities at a popular Winchester attraction.
The South Downs National Park’s Dark Skies Festival returns for 2022 with a line-up of in-person and virtual events over the February half-term holiday (February 11-27).
The theme of this year’s festival is exploring the dark skies for yourself and making the most of the discovery sites in the national park, all offering great opportunities to see the views of the universe.
Visitors to Winchester Science Centre will be able to enjoy a 360° subtitled full-dome film that spans billions of years and tells the story of the universe.
People can also enjoy learning about the dark skies from the comfort of their own home, with a selection of short films and Facebook lives during the fortnight.
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Highlights will include how to build a home for bats, top tips for astrophotography and a profile of each of the dark sky discovery sites in the national park.
The National Park Authority will also be revealing the winners of its popular astrophotography competition.
The festival celebrates the National Park’s status as one of 19 International Dark Reserves in the world, recognising it as one of the best places globally to capture immense views of the stars.
Dan Oakley, lead ranger and who heads the dark skies in the national park, said: “We’re really excited for our festival this year and there’s something for everyone.
“Seeing these incredible views of the stars and the Milky Way is such a wonderful spectacle and we’re so lucky to have such accessible stargazing opportunities in the South Downs.
“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.
“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. Some of the events also have to be booked in advance, so do check the programme carefully.”
“The National Park Authority has provided more than 400 free dark skies activity packs to charities and community groups in the local area, helping many children and young people who may never have done any stargazing before.
“We’re proud to be helping to connect more people with the National Park and all its special qualities.”
For more details and the full programme visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/dark-night-skies/dark-skies-festival/.
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