Space Week

October 10, 2016

Just because the evenings are drawing in you don’t have to spend them indoors. Darker skies and crisp evenings make autumn a great time to wrap up for stargazing in the UK’s newest International Dark Skies Reserve.

Whether you want to head for heathland or set up camp on the coast, be inspired by our top 5 stargazing spots in the South Downs.

Stargazing spots in the South Downs

Midhurst area – explore the Open Access Land on Iping, Stedham and Barlavington commons.
Queen Elizabeth Country Park – get closer to the stars on top of Butser Hill.
The Downland car parks – Firle, Harting Down, Bignor and the Trundle make great stargazing points along the South Downs Ridge.
Birling Gap – visit when the tide is out for a spectacular star gazing location.
Old Winchester Hill – descend into the valley or stay up top and take in the Milky Way while the glow from Southampton sits on the horizon.

If you’re hoping to capture shooting stars or the Milky Way, try these tips for astrophotography.

Top tips for photographing night skies:

Use a tripod.
With the widest F-Stop available; experiment with ISO settings between 400–1600.
Use a 10 second delay (self-timer) and set the exposure to around 25–30 seconds – the delay will eliminate button-press shake.
Try briefly illuminating landscape features in the foreground by quickly flashing a torch.
Beat the cold. Wrap up warm and take spare batteries!

Download our leaflet about the South Downs International Dark Skies Reserve here.

And don’t forget to mark up your diary for the South Downs first Dark Skies Festival from Friday 10 to Sunday 26 February 2017. We’re joining up with organisations and astronomers across the National Park to celebrate with star parties, talks and family activities.

On Saturday 18 February we’ll be hosting a day of family stargazing activities in Chichester and Midhurst. Keep an eye out for more information on the events pages of our website.