Packed week planned for stargazers

blackmorevaleJanuary 27, 20210 Comment0

Stargazers are being invited to a special week-long celebration of everything celestial. Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) International Dark Sky Reserve will host an online Dark Skies Festival from February 15-20.

Cranborne Chase is hosting the event over the February 2021 half-term to celebrate its designation as an International Dark Sky Reserve. StarFest is open to everyone and there is something for all ages. The events, most of which will be held online range from basic astronomy, through star tales for children and adults, to light pollution reduction.

Steve Tonkin, an astronomer and the Dark Sky Advisor to Cranborne Chase, said: “If you’ve wanted to know more about our dark skies but were too afraid to ask, this is the festival for you. I’ll be hosting an introduction to astronomy, there are children’s art activities, astrophotography and a specialist workshop on dark sky tourism for local businesses. We have experts across all areas of dark skies and astronomy ready and waiting to welcome you to this event. They are here to help support local business to make the most of our dark sky status, discuss how you can help make our dark skies even darker, and inspirational art and space workshops for children.”

The week kicks off with an Introduction to Stargazing with Steve Tonkin on Monday, February 15 at 7.30pm. This is a beginner’s guide to stargazing with tips on good apps to use as well as how to use a simple ‘planisphere’ to help you understand the night sky. Tickets are free.

The second event will be ‘Grow your business with Dark Sky Tourism’ with Richard Darn on Tuesday, February 16 at 7.30pm. Astro tourism is booming. Since Cranborne Chase became an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2019 there is a real opportunity for businesses in the area to make the most of new markets thanks to this prestigious new status. This is a free session for businesses.

Next up will be a chance to ‘Sketch the moon and make your own star constellation’ with Mary McIntyre on Wednesday, February 17 at 4pm. This is a fun, online art activity, suitable for ages 7+. Mary is an amateur astronomer and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. The same day, at 7.30pm there’s a session on Astrophotography, in which you can create your own star trails with Mary McIntyre.

An ‘Ask an Astronomer’ Q&A Session will be held with Steve Tonkin on Thursday, February 18 at 4pm. Steve will be on Facebook Live @cranbornechaseaonb for this. Ask questions in advance and tune in live to find out why the moon shines, what is a constellation, why comets have tails…

Also on Thursday is a ‘What Future for Dark Skies?’ session at 7.30pm. Bob Mizon MBE will be discussing our dark skies and how he has spent his life trying to turn back the tide on light pollution. Bob is co-ordinator of the British Astronomical Association’s Commission for Dark Skies.

On Saturday, February 20 at 10.30am Jo Richardson will lead Make me an Astronaut Live. This event is just £5 and promises to be great fun for all those budding astronauts out there. Suitable for ages 4-11. Jo Richardson is one of 10 UK Space Ambassadors and represents the South West, working on behalf of ESERO- UK (European Space Education Office) which is part of the National STEM Learning Centre and funded by the European Space Agency and other partners. In 2018, Jo was awarded a BIS Sir Arthur Clarke Space Achievement Award for working within the Tim Peake Primary Project Outreach and Education Team. Jo is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, London.

The last event will be Storytelling – Star Walk Stories with Lizzie Bryant on Saturday, February 20 at 7.30pm. Lizzie digs into her treasure trove of stories to bring you her adventures in the night sky.

For further details on all the events and how to book, visit cranbornechase.org.uk or email info@cranbornechase.org.uk