Dark Skies Festival returns to South Downs National Park this February

Now in its sixth year, the popular two-week event, from February 4 to 17, returns with a bumper line-up of space-related activities across South Downs National Park.

With the theme of ‘Nature at Night’, the festival includes a free downloadable pack of resources for the whole family, including useful stargazing guides and cosmic colouring sheets of the planets and nocturnal wildlife, such as badgers, barn owls and hedgehogs.

Breathtaking imagery will be shared throughout the two weeks from the National Park’s astrophotography competition.

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Among the events will be a fun Walk The Planets experience at the picturesque location of Queen Elizabeth Country Park, performance storyteller Dawn Nelson will be sharing fascinating folklore from the Milky Way galaxy.

And astronomers from South Downs Planetarium in Chichester will be hosting stargazing sessions.

Dan Oakley, a lead ranger for the national park, said: ‘We believe the skies above our head are as important as the landscape beneath our feet and the stunning starry nights are part of what makes the South Downs so special. The beauty of our International Dark Sky Reserve is how accessible it is and we’re proud to have 10 Discovery Sites that offer wonderful stargazing opportunities for everyone, whether you’re a novice or seasoned astronomer.

‘As well as being beautiful to look at, dark skies are also vital for nature to flourish as so many nocturnal and crepuscular wildlife rely on the natural rhythm of day into night.’

For more details visit southdowns.gov.uk.