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Stargazing in UK

4 replies

Fridayschild · 20/06/2015 20:00

I have booked a youth hostel break in Somerset in August which is in a Dark Spot - no light pollution. Hopefully we will get clear nights and see some stars.

Any tips, or an app to help? I can spot Orion and that would be about it.

DC are 12 and 10

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Ferguson · 20/06/2015 23:37

Look on BBC Sky At Night site, and back editions of the programme.

There was also a 'Stargazing Live' series a few months ago, which you can probably still access somehow.

There will be other sites that give details of what's visible and when, and there must be simulations of movement of stars.

Look at Chris Lintot, Brian Cox, Dara O'briain, and John Culshaw as they were all on Stargazing Live.

Where in Somerset will you be? Years ago I drove across Exmoor when a spectacular comet was active, and it makes a vast difference to have a Dark Sky.

Have you got telescopes, binoculars etc? Check if there is an astronomy club in the area; there must be a list of clubs somewhere on the internet.

Come back if you can't find what you need.

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Fridayschild · 21/06/2015 06:34

Thanks Ferguson I will have a look around

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AlpacaLypse · 21/06/2015 06:45

There's a good phone app which tells you exactly what stars you're seeing when you point it at any particular section of the sky. I was amazed at how sensitive it was to my movements! The app was on a friend's Android phone, but you can probably get it for Windows 8 or iPhones too.

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AlpacaLypse · 21/06/2015 06:48

Also when in August are you going? You might get lucky and see these!

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