When you look up at night in Galloway, chances are you will see a whole lot more than usual. The region has one of the darkest skies in Europe, which makes it a fantastic place for stargazing. Since so few people live in this part of South West Scotland there is very little light pollution.
In particular, from Galloway Forest Park, which is home to Europe’s second Dark Sky Park and the first of its kind in the UK, more than 7,000 stars and planets can be seen on a clear night and the bright band of the Milky Way arcs across the sky. Also watch out for satellites and streaking meteors.
Even at The Old Smiddy the nights are extra clear, however Clatteringshaws Loch and Kirroughtree Visitor Centre are perfect spots from which to view the night sky, and there are often stargazing events and guided tours by special Dark Sky Rangers.
Close to The Old Smiddy (2 miles/1 mins) is the Galloway Astronomy Centre, with their observatory housing a 16” reflecting telescope (the largest in Dumfries and Galloway). Tailored night sky tours are available to meet your level of interest.
More details can be found at: https://www.gallowayastro.com/
The Planets with binoculars
The king planet Jupiter is one of your best binocular targets and you can track this world’s four largest moons as they disappear and reappear from behind Jupiter in their waltzing orbits. You won’t however see Saturn’s rings with binoculars; you need a telescope for that. But you might be able to perceive Saturn’s rings as “bulges” that give the planet an elongated look. Likewise, it takes a telescope to see the phases of Venus. But – when it’s near Earth and in a thin crescent phase – binoculars will show you that Venus isn’t perfectly round. And Mars? Your binoculars will intensify the red-orange colour of Mars. They’ll also let you more easily spot Uranus – the most distant planet visible to the eye alone – even if your sky is less than optimum. Finally, your binoculars will let you go deep in search of Neptune, the only major planet that requires binoculars to be seen.
The Andromeda Galaxy
You can see the Andromeda Galaxy best in autumn, at its highest in the south around 8pm, but it is visible from the northern hemisphere throughout much of the year. The Andromeda Galaxy is the only major galaxy that you can see without any optical aids. Under dark, Moon-free skies, your unaided eye should be able to find the Andromeda Galaxy as a faint misty patch a short distance from the band of the Milky Way.
