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dark night skies

Help us count the stars

Ahead of our second South Downs Dark Skies Festival this February we need your help to measure how our dark night skies are changing by counting the number of stars you can see in Orion. Words by ‘Dark Skies’ Dan Oakley Looking up on a clear night can you see the Milky Way or the […]

Join our stargazing extravaganza – 10 to 26 February 2017

South Downs Dark Skies Festival, 10-26 February 2017 In 2016 the South Downs National Park became the world’s newest International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR), the 2nd in England and only 11th in the world. What better way to mark the occasion than a two-week festival in the dark winter months? Whether you live in or […]

Is your community dark sky friendly?

Whether it’s a park, a playing field or a meadow, there is almost certainly a local spot near you where you can see the stars on a clear night. Over the past year South Downs Ranger Laura Deane, has been working with local organisations and communities to get more of these spots named as official […]

Take the South Downs Dark Skies pledge

Create your own user feedback survey Dark Skies Pledge Prize Draw – Terms & Conditions

Reasons to smile in the South Downs

These are just a few of the reasons to smile today, and every day in the South Downs National Park. Adonis blue The sight of an Adonis blue on the rare chalk grassland of the South Downs can take your breath away. But did you know the Adonis blue butterfly larvae is tended to and […]

"The Downs...too much for one pair of eyes, enough to float a whole population in happiness."