Spot Orion to help stargazing group

AMATEUR star-spotters in the Peak District are being asked to help monitor the impact of light pollution, as they look for Orion over the national park.

The aim is to scout out the best and darkest locations for stargazing in the Peak District National Park and its surrounding areas.

The Peak District Dark Skies Group is asking people to go outside after 8pm on a clear night between Thursday, February 16 and Thursday, February 23 to spot the constellation of Orion, with its distinctive ‘belt’ of three bright stars in a line, with a smaller three-star ‘sword’ below.

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When they identify Orion, they will be asked to compare it with a series of star charts of varying brightness and decide which one most closely matches what they see.

People will then be asked to log their location, time and date, and send in their findings to the website www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/darkskies where they will find instructions and star charts.

Peak District Dark Skies Group spokesman John Tanner said: “Our stargazing events have proved immensely popular over the past year and we’d be really grateful for people’s help with our Orion in the Peak programme.”

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