Cumbria’s Dark Skies Cumbria’s Dark Skies Festival returns from 12 - 26 February 2022 with a stellar events programme that brings art, outdoor adventure, and astronomy experts together to reveal the county’s famously dark skies, both in person and online.
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he 2-week festival is back for its fourth instalment, with a wide array of starlit events held across the county, allowing people of all ages to celebrate Cumbria’s magical stargazing opportunities and connect with the landscape after dark. Cumbria Tourism, Forestry England, Friends of the Lake District, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, and the Lake District National Park Partnership work in collaboration to bring the busy festival line-up to life, and they have some exciting new additions for 2022 including UV rockpooling on the West Coast, where starry-eyed adventurers can discover the weird and wonderful marine-life that sparkle after dark. Astrophotography workshops, divine starlit dinners, and online planetarium shows will all join the programme, plus ‘The Big Switch Off’ held in Ambleside and Grasmere where residents, businesses, community groups and Cumbria County Council are joining forces to switch off the lights to better showcase the vast galaxy above. Night-time canoeing with Path to Adventure is back by popular demand, offering a unique opportunity to enjoy a tranquil guided paddle across Coniston Water at sunset – discovering hidden coves and remote islands along the way and identifying the constellations that stretch majestically above as the night draws in. Stargazers can tour the galaxy at one of the many engaging online events hosted by expert astronomers, including ‘Alien Worlds’ and ‘Standing in the Shadow of the Moon’. Gill Haigh, Managing Director, Cumbria Tourism says, “Cumbria easily outshines the city-lights for a winter break, with thousands of stars visible on a clear night and the milky way stretching majestically above. February’s festival programme is bigger than ever, and visitors will be spoilt for choice with such a fabulous array of events hosted right across the county.” Visitors to Cumbria can find a selection of accredited ‘dark sky friendly’ accommodation providers that provide unrivalled dark sky viewing and unique stargazing break packages.
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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
Many local businesses are also offering bookable stargazing packages throughout the winter, such as the use of high-quality telescopes, night-sky maps, waterproof rugs and hot chocolate, for the ultimate stargazing experience. The complete festival event programme so far is as follows: 14 February 2022 •
Alien Worlds, Online Hosted by Carole Haswell, Head of Astronomy OU
This richly-illustrated talk will outline what we know about our Milky Way Galaxy’s population of rocky planets. How do we find planets? How certain are we of their properties? What are the prospects for life elsewhere in the Galaxy? 15 February 2022 •
In Search of Dark Skies, Online - Hosted by Richard Darn, Astronomer
Richard has journeyed thousands of miles in a quest to find the ultimate dark sky. But what about the UK? We have areas of lovely dark skies too. Where are they and what should you expect? Uncover this and more. 16 February 2022 •
Dark Sky Canoeing, Coniston Water - Path to Adventure
Experience a tranquil night-time canoe paddle on Coniston Water. Stop off at the Swallows and Amazons island to enjoy a brew and gaze at the night sky, identify constellations and admire the beauty of the Milky Way. •
UV Rockpooling, Tanyard Beach
Discover the weird and wonderful marine life that comes to life at the Parton rockpools. 17 February 2022 •
Galaxy Tour, Online - LUniverse Planetarium Team
Learn all about the different types of galaxies and how they work. Discover everything from stellar evolution to dark matter and black holes (because no astronomy talk is complete without black holes!) •
Family-friendly Cyanotype Photography Workshop, Grizedale Forest
Hosted by award-winning photographer, Chris Routledge. Take a guided walk to collect leaves, seeds and
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