Forest of Bowland named stargazing hotspot

Stargazers are being encouraged to come to Bowland, after the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty had four sites recognised by the Dark Sky Discovery Partnership.

By The Newsroom

Published 17th Nov 2015, 19:47 BST

Stars in the dark skies at Gisburn Forest. Photo: Matthew Savage

Gisburn Forest Hub and Slaidburn village car park, along with Beacon Fell Country Park and Crook O’Lune Picnic Site, are recognised by the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s UK astronomy technology centre in Edinburgh, as places that are both dark and easily accessible, where it is possible to observe the Milky Way and the constellations with the naked eye.

Amateur astronomer Robert Ince, who is offering a series of star gazing events and workshops with the AONB, said: “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.”

For details of the AONB programme, see www.forestofbowland.com/Star-Gazing

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