Forest of Bowland is Recognised Nationally with Dark Sky Discovery Site Status

Picture the scene, a frosty, winter's evening wrapped in an inky darkness with sprinkles of starlight, in awe of a wonderful view as the cosmos magically reveals itself in the wondrous dark skies of Bowland.

Thanks to a national initiative, there is no better time to explore Bowland's dark skies. It has recently been awarded the Dark Sky Discovery Site status for four sites in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Recognised by the Dark Sky Discovery Partnership, managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh,  Dark Sky Discovery Sites are places within the UK that are both dark and easily accessible, but where it is possible to observe the spectacle of the Milky Way or the constellations, such as Orion, with the naked eye.

Forest of Bowland Sustainable Tourism Officer, Hetty Byrne had been quoted as saying ''We're delighted to join the Dark Sky Discovery Partnership's growing network of sites which highlight the best spots to see the night skies in the UK. The AONB, as part of its sustainable tourism developments, put forward four sites for approval by the Dark Sky Discovery programme - Beacon Fell Country Park, Crook O'Lune Picnic Site, Gisburn Forest Hub and Slaidburn Village Car Park. They are accessible sites, with good sight-lines and relatively low light pollution, giving people the best possible conditions to just turn up and see the stars on a clear night.''

Robert Ince, a local physicist has been working closely with ANOB to assess the night skies, to see how they are affected by light pollution and identified the best and darkest places to star gaze. Local authorities and land owners were also involved in the process to gain their support for the project.

Robert will be working with the ANOB during 2016, offering a series of star gazing events and workshops through the Festival Bowland programme. Robert explains, '' I love showing people the night skies, in the Forest of Bowland you can literally see thousands of stars; It has a real wow factor! Everyone can enjoy stargazing with a pair of binoculars and some basic information on how to get started, including star maps. During 2016 we'll be running a series of events at Discovery site locations - during the spring when glittering star clusters and magnificent constellations like Orion grace the sky, and in autumn when the Milky Way is overhead and meteor showers like the Perseids can put on an amazing show.''