Humans have watched the stars for billions of years, and countless stories about the stars are circulated at night, but these romantic stories seem to become more and more rare after humans have built cities.
Did you know that the stars we see with the naked eye are actually what they looked like decades, centuries, or even hundreds of millions of years ago? Because light needs to walk silently for many years in the silent universe before it can reach the earth. If you want to see the stars, here are a few places you can't miss.
1. South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park, opened to the public in 2011, is the UK's newest national park, and was certified by the International Dark Sky Association as an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2016.
It is worth mentioning that the South Downs National Park is only about an hour and a half drive from London, which is very suitable for alumni in London and nearby cities. There are also farm lodgings near the park for a close-to-nature stargazing experience.
2. Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor National Park, located in Devon, England, has excellent views due to its geographical advantage away from towns, and light pollution has very little impact on it.
Here, in addition to stargazing, you can also see granite rocks dating back to the Carboniferous period, as well as a large number of birds and wildlife. For nature lovers, Dartmoor National Park offers stargazing, animal watching, hiking, boating and more.
3. Brecon Beacons National Park
The Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales is also an excellent location for stargazing in the UK. The people who live here have a very strong sense of protecting the dark sky stargazing area and try to avoid any degree of light pollution.
The entire Brecon Beacons National Park is a Dark Sky Reserve. You can easily find a guide to the best places for stargazing in the park on the official website.
4. Northumberland National Park
Northumberland is the largest dark sky reserve in Europe, and Northumberland National Park is the third most protected dark sky area in the world.
In 2013, it was also awarded a Gold Tier designation by the International Dark Sky Association, indicating that the night sky here is subject to minimal light pollution.
Northumberland National Park, located on the border between Scotland and England, is arguably one of the most sparsely populated areas in the UK. Therefore, it is naturally an ideal location for the Dark Sky Stargazing Park.
5. Jersey
Jersey is a popular holiday and sightseeing destination for the British. With a temperate maritime climate, the stargazing experience in Jersey is filled with the unique feeling of the island.
Choose to watch the sunset and the surrounding archipelago as the sun sets. At night, you can enjoy the experience of starry sky at sea.
6. Exmoor National Park
Exmoor National Park is a national park in northern Devon and western Somerset, England, where hills and coastal forests are the most typical terrain. Here, there is a special kind of pony that inhabited this place long before humans and still enjoys the same sky as stargazers.
However, nowadays, wild horses are hard to be seen in this area due to their sparse numbers. As Europe's first international dark sky reserve, it's a must-see for stargazers.
