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.
Bu hikaye BBC Countryfile Magazine dergisinin January 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye BBC Countryfile Magazine dergisinin January 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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