Astronomer's call for revolution over light pollution to ensure Yorkshire's access to stars in the night sky

Richard Darn, an amateur astronomer who is supporting the region’s national parks in ambitions towards dark skies status, has spoken of the joys and wonders which can be witnessed in astonishing detail in some of the area’s more rural landscapes.

Tomorrow is to see the launch of the North York Moors’ first ever fringe festival, with observation evenings, stargazing and ‘‘bubble’’ midnight walks, to celebrate its unfettered access to the skies. Yet even amid a rising appreciation of such experiences, Mr Darn warns, sight of the stars is waning for so many others with mounting light pollution.

“There has never been a time when there has been greater pleasure, but that great pleasure has come when we are almost suffering the greatest risk to the dark skies,” he said. “I’ve seen the quality of the sky deteriorate over the past 10 years. Many people don’t realise what a dark sky looks like – in Sheffield, you could be lucky to see a handful of stars.

“We are so lucky in our national parks that we have this access, but we have got to get out of the notion that it doesn’t matter in towns and cities,” he added. “We could all have a better environment if just stopped using light with abandon.”

An International Dark Sky Reserve is an area recognised for its exceptional quality of starry nights, with some of the world’s best known being in Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons.

In both of Yorkshire’s national parks, from the North York Moors to the Yorkshire Dales, authorities have ambitions of securing such status, with the latter having submitted applications.

There is an expressive enthusiasm in Mr Darn's voice as he speaks of recent stargazing trips within the national park, particularly of Neowise, a comet in July that was visible to the naked eye.

Over recent years there has been a push towards Dark Skies Friendly lighting, recognising the kind of harsh lighting that can be harmful to seeing the stars but also in the way that it is used.

Something as simple as pointing a garden spotlight downwards rather than up, or lowering the lumens or wavelength, can make a change, adds Mr Darn.

"It's so compelling, it's so amazing to see the difference that friendly lighting can make," he said. "It's about learning to use lighting that's better quality, with less pollution not less light, in people's lives.