For two weeks in February and March 2022, CPRE are asking people from all across the country to become ‘citizen scientists’ and look heavenwards for one night to count the stars and help measure our dark skies.
With some great tips from the British Astronomical Association taking part couldn’t be simpler and it is a great family activity! Try to pick a clear night (between the 26th February and 6th March) for your count, with no haze or clouds, then wait until after 7pm so the sky is really dark. Looking south into the night sky, find the Orion constellation, with its four corners and ‘three-star belt’. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness for as long as possible (ideally at least 20 minutes), then count the stars that you can see within the four corners of Orion (check out the picture which shows you how). Make a note of the number of stars seen with the naked eye and submit your count on the CPRE website when the results page opens that week.
Share your experiences (and any photos) with others on social media using #StarCount and don’t forget to check back to see the national results and how Walford compares to the rest of the country! To sign up please visit: https://www.cpre.org.uk/…/dark-skies/star-count-2022/