NORTHUMBERLAND National Park is working together with CLIF Bar to launch an initiative that aims to inspire a new generation of stargazers after the launch of the first virtual Northumberland Dark Skies Festival. The park was one of five in the UK to receive a grant from the organisation as part of their National Parks Protectors Fund, receiving a £10,000 grant to support its dark skies conservation projects, which help to raise public awareness of the issues of light pollution and the need to help conserve the pristine dark skies. Some of the grant is now being used to educate the next generation on dark skies and the importance of conservation; the park has created a Dark Sky Discovery Loans Box, available to any schools within the county to borrow and use in the classroom for up to four weeks. The box includes a light meter, a piece of meteorite, binoculars, red and white light torches, constellation guides, nocturnal wildlife information and a replica bronze age sky disk
THE Twice Brewed Inn’s stargazing team is preparing to bring the wonder of the night sky to online audiences during February half term as part of the Northumberland Dark Skies Festival. The Northumberland observatory, which is attached to The Twice Brewed Inn, on Hadrian’s Wall, is taking part in the inaugural Festival, which is inviting people to log on for a series of virtual-only events, due to the current Covid-19 restrictions. Wil Cheung, who heads up The Twice Brewed’s astronomy team, has scheduled a number of special Facebook live sessions designed to bring the wonders of the night sky to life for stargazers of all ages and abilities during the school holidays.
The Battlesteads Dark Sky Observatory, in Wark on Tyne, North-East A NEW generation of stargazers are being inspired following the launch of a dark skies festival. Northumberland National Park is working together with CLIF Bar to launch a new initiative to follow on from the first virtual Northumberland Dark Skies Festival. The site was one of five National Parks in the UK to receive a grant from CLIF Bar as part of their National Parks Protectors Fund, receiving a £10,000 grant to support the park’s dark skies conservation projects. The project helps to raise public awareness of the issues of light pollution, and the need to help conserve the pristine dark skies.