Stargazing Guide: Be starstruck during your glamping adventure

If, like us, you’ve been inspired by the recent coverage on the 50^th anniversary of the moon landing, you might be tempted to turn your gaze skywards during your next glamping break.

Glamping is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at stargazing. You’ll find most sites are located in rural areas, away from electric lights and disturbances, so you'll be able to see star constellations more clearly. And with so much of your holiday taking place in the great outdoors, it’s the easiest thing in the world to look up and see what you can spot! After all, glamping is all about getting back to nature, and is there any better example of the natural world than the magnificence of the night sky?

What do I need for stargazing?

Literally nothing! The beauty of stargazing is that all you really need are your own two eyes and some enthusiasm. Of course, a blanket and chair are always recommended (You’ll find these already provided in your Lantern & Larks tent!), and binoculars and telescopes can be helpful, although certainly not essential.

You can find more information on how to stargaze, especially with kids, here.

What can you see in the night sky?

It can be easy to feel lost when you first start exploring the night sky. Luckily, there are plenty of tools available to help you get your bearings. Before you arrive at your glamping site, make sure to download one of the many stargazing apps available (Star Walk and Google Sky Map are two of our favourites). Or, if you’d like to follow the Lantern & Larks philosophy of ditching the screens altogether, you’ll be in good hands with a traditional paper star chart!

When it comes to identifying exacly what you’re looking at, there’s one basic rule to keep in mind; If it’s steady, it’s a planet. If it sparkles, it’s a star. Your star maps should be a good starting point for helping you work out exactly what’s visible during your break, but here’s a handful of other night time displays which are worth keeping your eye out for…

1. The International Space Station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes, so you have a good chance to spotting it on a clear night. It will appear as a bright point of light, moving quickly from West to East. You can find out when the station is due to travel over our sites using NASA’s Spot the Station tool.

2. Don’t miss the chance to marvel at the Milky Way. Our spectacular home galaxy is perhaps one of the most amazing sights in the sky. Star clusters, dust lanes and nebulas are all found in this area, and give the appearance of a beautiful ‘cloud’ of stars reaching right across the sky.

3. If you’re really lucky, you may get the chance to wish on a shooting star! Otherwise known as Meteors, these fragments of asteroids or comets burn up as the enter the Earth’s atmosphere, creating the fiery trails we can see on Earth. Meteors appear all the time, but at certain times each year a whole shower will arrive at once.  You can find a list of all those due to appear here.

A few extra things to keep in mind… 

Check the phase of the moon. Stargazing is best during the new moon, as it gives off less light.

Make sure to wrap up warm and grab a hot drink, blanket and hot water bottle from your tent. Clear nights may be great for stargazing, but they can get chilly!

It takes your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to see their best in the dark, so be patient as you adjust. It may be a good idea to turn off all the lights in your tent and let the firepit die down.

If you need to use a torch, try one with a red filter. The red light won’t affect your ability to see the stars. You can even create your own by covering a normal torch with red paper.

The Best Places to Stargaze - Dark Sky Sites

If you want to get out and about during your starry adventure, we’re very lucky in that all of our sites are within 45 minutes of designated Dark Sky Discovery sites. These are spots that have been recognised by the International Dark Sky Association as fantastic places to go stargazing. They aim to encourage the public to get involved with astronomy, are often easily accessible and have facilities such as parking and toilets.

The closest Dark Sky Sites to our sites are:

• Bleasdale: Visit Beacon Fell Visitor Centre, 15 minutes from site.
  Beacon Fell, Preston, PR3 2NL
   
• Exton Park: Visit Ramsey Heights Countryside Classroom, 45 minutes from site.
  Ramsey Heights, Ramsey, PE26
   
• Sweffling Hall: Visit Westleton Common, 20 minutes from site.
  Off Mill Street, Westleton, IP17 3BD
   
• Kittisford Barton: Visit Wimbleball Lake, 30 minutes from site.
  Dulverton, Near Tiverton, TA22

We hope we’ve covered everything you need for a night’s stargazing at Lantern & Larks. Like glamping, stargazing is best enjoyed with company, so grab a hot chocolate and a blanket, settle in and see what the night sky has to offer!

Book your next glamping adventure today!