Stargazing in the Forest of Bowland: Northern Lights and Dark Sky Discovery Sites
The landscapes of the Forest are captivating by day but after the sun sets there’s a whole new world to discover in the dark skies over Bowland.
The night skies over Bowland have recently been recognized as some of the darkest in England and granted official status as Dark Sky Discovery Sites.
Many of the earth’s companion planets in the solar system: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus are visible at various times of year, as are more distant objects like the Orion Nebula and the Great Galaxy in Andromeda.
How to see the Northern Lights in Bowland
Bowland’s Dark Skies make it an ideal place to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) as the sun approaches its solar maximum and geomagnetic activity reaches its peak.
Displays of the Northern Lights are visible under clear night skies in the Forest of Bowland when the flow of charged particles from the sun reaches a certain threshold. This activity is monitored by scientists at Lancaster University (on the edge of the Forest of Bowland) who issue alerts when a display of the Northern Lights is potentially visible.
Aurora displays can be brief and fleeting and are difficult to see with the naked eye, but using a camera-equipped smartphone or digital camera can capture the beauty of the aurora. Set your phone or camera to take a long exposure of up to 10 seconds and review the resulting images to see the pinks and greens of the aurora on screen.
We’d only recommend travelling to one of Bowland’s Dark Sky Discovery sites when a major ‘Red’ alert is issued for the UK and the night skies are forecast to be clear. Look up to the north horizon for signs of a faint glow with the naked eye and train your camera on this glow and take a series of shots.
Dark Sky Discovery Sites
There are now five designated Dark Sky Discovery sites within the National Landscape – all of which have parking and plenty of room to observe the sky:
- Beacon Fell Country Park
- Gisburn Forest Hub
- Slaidburn Village Car Park
- Crook o’ Lune Picnic Site
- Clerk Laithe Lodge, Newton
Find an organized star-gazing event: https://www.forestofbowland.com/Festival-Bowland-Events
Find Dark Skies friendly accommodation: https://www.forestofbowland.com/star-gazing
