Does the Isle of Wight have the clearest night skies?
EXCLUSIVE
That’s the question the Campaign for Rural England (CPRE) is urging Islanders to answer - by taking part in their annual star count.
Islanders are being encouraged to become citizen scientists from next week and tell the CPRE how many stars you can see - from your garden, balcony, doorstep or bedroom window.
The CPRE will then create a map of where light is leaking into our night skies and will work with local councils and others - to reduce the areas were light pollution is the most serious.
The CPRE on the Isle of Wight believes the Island has the clearest night skies - so let’s prove them right!
A spokesperson for the CPRE on the Isle of Wight told Isle of Wight Radio:
'The CPRE has been working hard to protect not just landscapes but also skyscapes - and here on the Ise of Wight, we have some of the darkest skies in the country which actually deserve recognition and protection.
"Starcounting is a great lockdown activity - so you can go out and see how many stars you can count and feed that back in nationally to find out where we have the clearest and best skies - which we think is right here on the Isle of Wight."
How to take part in Star Count
- Make a note of the dates, 6-14 February 2021, and keep an eye on the weather forecasts as the week approaches.
- Stay at home for your star counting this year.
- Try to pick a clear night for your count, with no haze or clouds, then wait until after 7pm so that the sky is really dark.
- Turn off all the lights in your house to make it easier to see the stars.
- Looking south into the night sky, find the Orion constellation, with its four corners and ‘belt’.Take a few moments to let your eyes adjust, then count the number of stars you can see within the rectangle formed by the four corner stars. You can count the three stars in the middle – the belt – but not the corner stars.
- Make a note of the number of stars seen with the naked eye (not with telescopes or binoculars)
You can submit your count online here.
Share your experiences (and any photos) with others on social media using #StarCount
You can also share your photos with us at [email protected]
And don’t forget to check back here to see the national results and how the Isle of Wight compares to the rest of the country.
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