South Downs National Park wins ‘dark sky reserve’ status
For amateur astronomers like me there was an opportunity to see Mercury transit the Sun last Monday. For any Hinterland readers who missed it, the little planet will not transit again until 2019 and then again in 2032. In the meantime there are plenty of opportunities for stargazing, especially with the announcement that the South Downs National Park has won special status as ‘dark sky reserve’. The park has become the 11th site in the world to be made an international dark sky reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).
Park ranger Dan Oakley said the park’s skies were “remarkable…You see the Milky Way above your head, you’ll see it twinkle. You’ll see the dark dust lanes that go through the Milky Way.”
The move to create the reserve saw 2,700 street lamps replaced with downward-facing LED lights.
More than 1,300 people signed a “dark skies pledge” and support came from more than 70 parish, town and county councils. About two million people live within three miles (5km) of the park.