Since November 2009 The Galloway Forest Park in Dumfries and Galloway has been home to the First Dark Sky Park in Europe. Kippford Holiday Park is just a short drive away from the clearest skies in Europe.
What is a Dark Sky Park?
A Dark Sky Park is a place which has exceptionally dark night skies and where light pollution is controlled to keep the skies dark. The sky above the Galloway Forest Park is really dark apart from the stars.
Viewing Points
There are a number of spots in The Galloway Forest Park where you can view the stars. The nearest points from the holiday park are Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre, The Raiders Road and The Galloway Red Deer range. You can download a copy of the Dark Skies leaflet by clicking here.
The Auroa
The dark skies is also an excellent place to see the Aurora when we are lucky enough for it to come as far down as Scotland. So keep an eye on Aurora Watch UK to find out if there are any aurora warnings.
Upcoming Events in the Sky
This a small list of a few selected events which happen every year. The Galloway Forest Park also run star gazing events throughout the year so keep an eye on their website for more details: www.forestry.gov.uk/darkskygalloway
April - Lyrids
The Lyrid meteors also known as April's "shooting stars" tend to be bright and often leave trails. You can expect to see about 10 - 20 meteors per hour at it's peak and the Lyrids are also known for their uncommon surges which sometimes bring the rate up to 100 per hour but these outbursts are rare and not easy to predict.
The Meteors will radiate out from the constellation Lyra which rises in the northeast at about 10pm.
The Lyrids will be peaking on April 21/22 in 2012 and with the moon absent viewing conditions should be perfect (providing there is no cloud cover).
August - Persieds
Mid August are typically fast and bright meteors that often leave persistant trains radiating out from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. Meteors will appear in all parts of the sky and are considered by many people to be the best meteor shower of the year. You can expect to see around 50 meteors or more per hour at it's peak and typically produce the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn.
The Persieds will peak on the 12th / 13th August 2012 and will have a thin waning crescent moon visible in the sky from midnight which will obscure some of the Perseids.
Ocotober - Orionids
These are fast moving meteors that occasionally leave persistant trains and bright fireballs. They radiate from the Club of the constellation Orion the Hunter north of the star Betelgeuse. At their peak you can expect to see about 15 meteors per hour and are usually best viewed in the wee hours before dawn.
The Orionids will be peaking on the 21st / 22nd October and the sky will be moon free from around 11:30pm
November - Leonids
These meteors radiate out from the constellation Leo the Lion and have given us some of the most spectacular meteor showers known as meteor storms. The number of meteors per hour can vary from just 10-15 per hour to thousands per hour although these events are rare and was last seen in 1966. The best time to view the Leonids is between midnight and Dawn.
The Leonids will peak on the 17th / 18th and the sky will be moon free from the early evening.
December - Geminids
The Geminids often produces around 50 or more meteors per hour.
The Geminids will peak on the 13th / 14th December. The new moon will also be on the 13th so viewing conditions should be excellent.
