South Downs Star Count 2018: Orion

The South Downs National Park is an International Darky Skies Reserve but in order to protect our night skies we need to measure whether their quality is staying the same or changing over time – this is a big job so we need your help.

 

Ahead of our second South Downs Dark Skies Festival this February we need your help to measure how our dark night skies are changing by counting the number of stars you can see in Orion.

 

It’s very simple to get involved. Start by choosing a safe place to look at the stars and wrapping up warm – ideally you need to be away from direct lights like street lights or your phone for 20 minutes to make sure that your eyes are fully adjusted. Orion will rise from the South during the winter and one of the easiest ways to find him is to look for the row of three stars in his belt. Now imagine a wonky rectangle from his shoulders to his feet and count all the stars in this area – including the three bright stars in his belt.