Current Activity – Park After Dark (Star Count 2019)
Orion – count the stars in the rectangle
9th-23rd February 2019 (Now over!)
This activity is now complete. Please let us know if you took part and tell us how many stars you were able to see. The results we know of confirm that light pollution is very bad in Richmond Park.
Help discover how Light Pollution affects our Park and its inhabitants!
Star Count is a country-wide survey by CPRE (Council for the Protection of Rural England) and BAA (British Astronomical Association).
It runs from Saturday 2nd – Saturday 23 February. The best time to observe now is after 19th February when moonlight won’t be a problem.
Full details are here: https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-do/countryside/dark-skies/star-count-2019
HOW YOU CAN TAKE PART
– This is an activity for families to do in their own time
– Download our simple guide as a PDF by clicking Park-After-Dark-STARCOUNT-2019
– Go into the Park on a clear night and record the number of stars you can see between the corner stars of Orion (see picture). Full details are in our guide or on the CPRE website.
– Submit your results (on the CPRE website) and please tell us as well – by email to discoverers@frp.org.uk
IMPORTANT: All Park gates (including pedestrian gates) are locked by 8 pm in February.
MORE INFORMATION
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and British Astronomical Association (BAA) organises Star Count to find out which part of England has the darkest skies. Full details are here: https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-do/countryside/dark-skies/star-count-2019
Satellite data shows that light pollution is affecting the south east of the UK increasingly badly, leaving less and less countryside where we can enjoy dark starry skies.
Why should we care about light pollution?
- Wasted light is also a waste of energy and money
- When light spills up into the sky it masks our view of the stars
- It affects the sleeping patterns and behaviour of all life and that includes us!
Your observations will enable CPRE to create a map showing the effects of light pollution on our view of the night sky
Star Count 2013 revealed that only 5% of people could see more than 30 stars in Orion, compared to 54% who saw fewer than 10 stars – a level which indicates severe light pollution. Even if you didn’t make the briefing on 9th February, you can still take part in Star Count – just make your observations on a clear night and submit your results from the Star Count website.
Why is this important for our Park?
Richmond Park is a site of national and international importance for wildlife conservation
It is London’s largest Site of Special Scientific Interest, a National Nature Reserve and a European Special Area of Conservation
LOOK UP and discover how Light Pollution affects our Park!
For more information contact discoverers@frp.org.uk