WONDERS OF THE NIGHT SKY

Dark winter evenings are perfect for exploring the magnificent marvels of the firmament – and Britain’s precious Dark Sky sites offer especially spectacular views. Venture outside with Vivienne Crow for an exhilarating evening of stargazing

- Vivienne Crow

Dusk at Clatteringshaws Loch in Galloway Forest Park. Light still lingers in a sky streaked with purple cloud, and in the blurred mirror of the wind-whipped loch the rugged hills surrounding us are dark silhouettes.

After a day of torrential downpours across south-west Scotland, forecasters are promising a clear night ahead, perfect for stargazing. My expectations are modest: a short night walk; to spot some planets; and maybe even catch a glimpse of the Milky Way.

THE NIGHT SKY BY NUMBERS

3,000– 4,000

The number of stars seen with the naked eye

Four years and three months

The time it takes for light to reach us from Proxima Centauri, the nearest star beyond our solar system

7,941

The number of man-made satellites whizzing round the planet

60,189

The number of Earth days in a ‘year’ on Neptune

“Venus!” says my guide excitedly, pointing at a bright light low in the sky to the west. Seven years as a dark skies ranger in the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park have obviously not dimmed Matthew McFadzean’s enthusiasm for the heavens above. Similarly undimmedin the clear Galloway skies, the silvery disc of Venus is astonishingly bright for an object more than 38 million miles away. Despite that head-spinning distance, Venus is our closest planetary neighbour, Matthew explains. That’s why it’s the first object to appear in the night sky, visible long before the sun’s last glow has vanished.