North Yorkshire celebrates rich stargazing tradition with Dark Skies Festival
North Yorkshire is home to some of the darkest skies in Britain, providing ideal conditions for spotting constellations and planets overhead.
The North York Moors is an International Dark Sky Reserve, making it one of only 25 locations in the world to be recognised for exceptional night sky quality, free of light pollution.
This month the National Park is hosting the Dark Skies Festival in partnership with local businesses and Dark Sky Friendly places to stay, allowing the opportunity to observe the Milky Way and the finer details of popular constellations, such as the Orion Nebula.
The festival, running from 13 February to 1 March, lets people learn about astronomy through expert guidance, and understand how protecting dark skies preserves both natural heritage and scientific opportunities. Mark Dawson, Chairman of Whitby & District Astronomical Society, told GB News: “Here, from a dark sky reserve, you can see down to the almost the theoretical naked eye limit, so you can see the very faintest stars.
“It is quite an awe inspiring vista. You can cast a shadow, or sometimes the Milky Way can be that bright.
“We’ve got lots and lots of different objects, different kinds of nebula, galaxies, the planets that we can look at.
“It’s almost like a time machine. We’re looking back at objects that used to be because the distances are so great that it takes light so many years to travel here.”
The Dark Skies Festival also provides a boost for Dark Skies friendly businesses like the Victoria Hotel in Robin Hood’s Bay.
This month the National Park is hosting the Dark Skies Festival
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GB NEWS
The hotel has unveiled its star-studded package during the Dark Skies Festival, including a ‘Stay and Gaze’ two-night stay with a three-course dinner and traditional afternoon tea. Blankets and torches are also provided for stargazing on the terrace for hotel guests.
Visitors can also enjoy a selection of warming drinks to keep the cold at bay while stargazing, including a Hot Port winter cocktail, traditional mulled wine and luxury hot chocolate, or a limited-edition dessert ‘from a galaxy far away’ featuring an Italian meringue ‘night sky dome’, compote of wild berries and fruit puree, spiced ‘moon landing’ crumb, and chocolate covered morello cherries.
Occupying an iconic location at the top of Robin Hood’s Bay, on the Heritage Coast of the North York Moors, the hotel boasts a Sea-View Garden and Terrace as well as the Osborne’s Restaurant which benefit from dramatic panoramic coastal views, providing an atmospheric background for Dark Skies festival-goers.
Beverley Rutherford, Business Development Manager at Hotel Victoria told GB News: “It is a quiet time [during winter] and hospitality at the moment does have its challenges, so the festival and working with the North York Moors is something that we really embrace.
North Yorkshire has a rich stargazing heritage
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GB NEWS
“Something like the festival brings more people to the area and is another reason to come and celebrate what we have here, so these events are very welcome by the hotel.”
Andrew Long, Owner of the Hotel Victoria, added: “Perched above Robin Hood’s Bay, the hotel offers a special opportunity to enjoy some of the UK’s darkest skies alongside panoramic coastal views, together with excellent food and beverages.
“With a high standard of exceptional and thoughtful hospitality, Hotel Victoria will make the Dark Skies Festival a truly special place to stay. Our curated packages are designed to help our guests to relax and fully immerse themselves in this extraordinary natural spectacle.”
The North York Moors National Park was designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve in December 2020, making it one of only 25 locations worldwide recognised for exceptional night sky quality. This prestigious designation means up to 2,000 stars can be seen at any one time in the darkest areas of the National Park.
Robin Hood’s Bay resident Lynn Micklewright told GB News: “You just look up and suddenly it’s a ‘wow’ that there’s so many stars up there that you don’t even see when there’s false lights around. It’s definitely worth just standing and looking at it.”Her friend and fellow resident, Penny McDonald, added: “I can always find the Milky Way and I can find Orion’s Belt and looking at the planets, I think it’s amazing that you can see some of the planets sometimes when it’s a clear day.”
The Dark Skies Festival features expert-led astronomy sessions that unlock the mysteries of distant galaxies, guiding guests through constellations with powerful telescopes; family-friendly activities that inspire the next generation of space explorers; hands-on workshops; and moonlit walks across the moors.
For the full programme of events and details about how to book, please visit Dark Skies Festival: North York Moors events
