Under the stars

With big open skies and limited light pollution, it is no secret that Cornwall has some of the best locations for stargazing; on a clear night you can see thousands of starts twinkling above you.

Choose from coastal paths or the top of a tor – stargazing a great way to explore Cornwall! All you need are some friends, a torch, warm clothes, blankets and a flask of hot chocolate. . If you want to take stargazing to the next level, pack some binoculars and a camera. It will allow you to make it even more special; focusing in on areas that are fascinating to you.

The longer you gaze, the more you’ll see; discover layer upon layer of stars, like lightbulbs some brighter than others. You’ll see flickers of colour from ice blue to orange; dictated by the temperature of the stars. Look out for the shooting ones…

Stay long enough and you might see movement and patterns. The International Space Station if frequently seen moving slowly across the sky or use an app to download patterns in the stars, see if you can spot the Plough or the Bear?

One of our favourite spots is the Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps, which has been awarded a Dark Sky Discovery Site for its location, sightlines and access; it’s also got Milky Way status as on a clear night its visible to the naked eye.

For those not so keen on spontaneous adventures, there are plenty of star gazing events that take place across Cornwall, you can find these on gostargazing.co.uk or darkskydiscovery.org.uk.