Beginner’s guide to stargazing
To ensure you have the best stargazing experience you can, here are a few helpful tips you can follow.
Before you head out
- Decide where you’re going – our Dark Sky Discovery Sites are a great place to start.
- Check the phase of the moon – stargazing is best when the moon isn’t visible.
- Pack some snacks and a flask of hot drink
- Download a stargazing app to help you identify constellations and stars (we love Stellarium which has both web and mobile apps. Other stargazing apps are available!)
- Watch our Dark Skies 360° film to find out what to look for.
During your visit
- Take a blanket or mat to lie on
- Wrap up warm
- Allow time for your eyes to adjust – this takes around 20 minutes so turn off any lights, torches and put your mobile phone away. If you need a torch, one with a red light is better for maintaining your night vision.
- Take a compass or use the one on your smart phone
- Check out this video for further top tips.
What next?
Once you’ve had an amazing stargazing experience out in the National Park, there are lots of ways to stay connected to the dark skies:
- Join us at an event – visit our ‘What’s On?’ page to see what’s coming up, and look out for events as part of our annual Dark Skies Festival.
- Look up your local astronomy group to expand your knowledge and meet like-minded star-lovers!
- Explore easy ways you can protect the darkness
- Host a Star Party in your school or local community. Our Star Party Pack has lots of ideas for games and activities you could include.