Our tiny archipelago is blessed with truly dark and unpolluted skies, making it the perfect destination for stargazing. Charlie Payne from the Community Observatory on St. Martin’s tells us what we can look out for on Scilly.

Photo by Bruce Frank, St Martin's Post Office & Store

Whether you’re a beginner or aficionado when it comes to astronomy, studying the stars, planets, galaxies and other objects in the night sky is a truly amazing sight – and nowhere more so than on Scilly.

With no light pollution, the Isles of Scilly enjoy pristine night skies. On a clear night, the sheer number of stars is breath-taking; for many visitors, seeing the Milky Way arc across the sky is an unforgettable experience. Crucially, as islands, being surrounded by large stretches of water, stargazers on Scilly benefit from fantastic sightlines. Our long, low horizons mean you have the chance to see objects – particularly the planets – that you would miss in a built up area with tall trees or buildings.

With the shorter days, autumn, winter and early spring offer the promise of an earlier glimpse of the heavens. For many, September marks the start of the annual stargazing season. October half term is an excellent opportunity for stargazing with lots to see and skies darkening by 8pm. Ideally, you need the sky to be truly dark and your eyes adjusted so the best time for stargazing is an hour and a half after sunset. Leave your mobile phones in your pockets (or on a night mode) and if you need a torch, only use one with a red light setting. And unless the moon is your target for viewing, you also might want to avoid the days around a full moon, as its brightness can drown out all but the most prominent stars and planets.

There’s so much up in the night sky that it can be daunting to know where to start looking. Use a star map to orientate yourself with the night sky and start by finding one constellation you will remember, such as the plough.  There are several brilliant mobile apps available too (Star Walk 2 or Sky Map) which use your location to tell you exactly what’s in the sky at any given moment. (Use on red light mode!) The excellent and free programme, Stellarium, for computer is a must for budding astronomers.

You only need your naked eyes to stargaze, but adding a bit of magnification can really enhance your experience. A pair of binoculars is great for looking at the moon or at stars within constellations. Especially for younger stargazers, the chance to look at a planet such as Saturn or Jupiter through a powerful telescope adds a real ‘wow’ factor.  And once you start, just keep going!  The more you stargaze, the more you’ll be able to identify. The sky changes throughout the seasons so you’ve always got something to set your sights on.

Consider visiting us for Dark Skies Week, which normally happens the first week of October
Centred around the new community observatory on St. Martin's, there'll plenty to see and do. From twinkly stargazing nights, guest speakers, meteor showers and more.

Great places to star gaze on Scilly
Peninnis Head and the Garrison Playing Field, St. Mary's
Watch Hill, Bryher
King Charles' Castle (Castle Down), Tresco
Wingletang Down or Castella Down St. Agnes
Community Observatory, St. Martin's