Stargazing on the Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly are home to some of the darkest skies in the UK. Ezzy Pearson visited St Martin’s island to experience them…
The Isles of Scilly aren’t quite like anywhere I’ve ever been before. English country houses stand in the shade of palm trees, while dry stone walls line paths down to white sandy beaches. Take a swim off the shoreline and you’ll find some of the clearest waters in the world. The feeling is a unique blend of tropical island and British countryside on these most southerly islands of the United Kingdom, where the Irish Sea meets the Atlantic.
But the real draw of the Isles of Scilly (at least for stargazers), is not what the island has, but what it does not have – light pollution. Located 45km off the Cornish coast, the skies above the Isles of Scilly are phenomenally dark. So when I stepped off the plane to a clear blue sky, I couldn’t wait for night-time.
The airport is located on the island of St Mary’s, but my destination was on St Martin’s, meaning I had to hop on a boat over to the island. I was soon settling into my shepherd’s hut next to the St Martin’s Vineyard.
As it started to get dark, I made my way towards the reason for my trip – the island’s community observatory. The idea of an observatory to take advantage of the fantastically dark skies here first arose in 2015, when Mark Holmes was on holiday with his family. Already an avid astronomer, Holmes was keen to do some stargazing. While he knew the skies would be dark, he wasn’t quite prepared for when night fell.
“As soon as I got here I thought, “Goodness me, this is a phenomenal dark-sky site’,” he remembers. “The first time I came here was with my wife, and then with my daughter. I just stood and watched them looking up at the sky; their breath was absolutely taken away by the depth of the sky, and the clarity. I realised that this is what is missing from astronomy, people have lost this connection to the night sky.”
Building an observatory
A seed of an idea soon began to germinate. Holmes had already founded a community observatory in his hometown of High Legh in Cheshire, and he thought St Martin’s could be the perfect site for another such facility. However, the notion truly blossomed after a chance chat with his B&B landlady Val Thomson.
“Out of curiosity, I asked him how he built that observatory, and what was involved,” says Thomson. “I thought, we are in a unique position here, so I called an informal meeting in the pub. There was lots of local interest, and from that we set up an astronomy society.”
RIGHT: Mark Holmes first came up with the idea for an island observatory
A plan in a pub quickly turned into a fully-fledged proposal to build an astronomical observatory, she says. “Originally we called ourselves the St Martin’s Astronomical Society, but that got shortened to Smartarses! Then someone suggested COSMOS – Community Observatory St Martin’s On Scilly.”
The project took four years along with donations from private individuals, the Scilly Steamship Company and a grant of £60,000 from the Rural Development Programme for England. In 2019, the observatory became a reality.
Kitting it out
The observatory‘s two domes house a 14-inch Meade LX200ACF telescope and a 130mm Altair Wave refractor, alongside a hydrogen-alpha solar telescope. Next to these is a warm room with computers set up ready for image-processing and remote control of the telescopes. The observatory has been attracting astronomers and astrophotographers, keen to take advantage of the island’s pristine skies.
“I came along with my camera bits and pieces, but you can’t bring an awful lot on those flying boxes,” says Mark Holmes, referring to the small, 17-seater planes that fly to the island. Although it is possible to bring more luggage when travelling via the ferry, taking a large telescope and mount island-hopping would be a formidable prospect. By providing highend telescopes on the island, this hurdle is removed for astronomers, who only need to bring their far more portable cameras.
Finding dark skies
By now I was raring to get a look at these fabled dark skies. Just one problem – it had clouded over and started to rain. I wasn’t about to give up though. Throughout the day I’d seen that the sea air had kept the clouds constantly moving and even a completely overcast sky hadn’t lasted for long. All I had to do was wait and, fortunately, I already had an evening of entertainment planned.
I’d come to the islands during Scilly Dark Skies Week, an event staged by COSMOS to help encourage beginner stargazers on the islands and the mainland by teaching them the basics of stargazing, while exposing them to the splendour of incredible dark skies.
The event opened with the COSMOS team explaining how the observatory came into existence, before socialising over a glass (or four) of wine. Soon enough, it was well into the evening, and so I thought I would duck my head outside to see if the clouds had cleared.
What greeted me were some of the darkest skies I’d ever seen. Even without dark adaptation and with the hall light on behind me, it took less than 10 seconds for the band of the Milky Way to begin swimming into view. I dashed back inside to tell everyone that the sky had cleared. The COSMOS team ran to the dome, while the rest of us found a dark corner to observe from. One of the local astronomers began leading the beginner stargazers around the sky, pointing out Cassiopeia and how it led the way towards the Little Dipper and Polaris.
It was halfway through this celestial tour that I realised something peculiar – the stars were not twinkling. “That’s because we’re surrounded by the sea, it means the air is more stable,” explained Thomson. Without the turbulence caused by the thermal imbalance between the cool sea and the warm land that most of the UK experiences, the air on Scilly remains steady overhead.
This was evident when the COSMOS crew announced that the 170mm refractor was locked on Jupiter. When I looked through it I was greeted by an image of the gas giant as steady as I’d ever seen, with all four of its Galilean moons perfectly clear.
We didn’t have any idea how long it would be before the clouds rolled in and so we quickly filed past the eyepiece, sharing the view. For many there that evening it was the first time they had ever seen a planet through a telescope.
“I think that’s what makes it all worthwhile – when someone looks through the telescope and sees Jupiter for the first time, and says ‘wow, that’s amazing’,” smiles Anna Brown, who organised the Dark Skies Week. “It’s about seeing everyone’s enthusiasm, and helping them understand a bit more about the sky.”
A starry guide home
Slowly though, the stars started to wink out. I had to assume it was the clouds rolling in – with no Moon or light pollution to illuminate them, it was only possible to tell where the clouds were by the absence of stars. It was a strange experience, watching blackness roll over the sky and cover the bright points of light.
It was time to make my way back to my shepherd’s hut. Carefully though – as soon as I was away from the light of the hall, I couldn’t even make out my hand in front of my face, let alone see my feet, one of the drawbacks of such incredibly dark skies. There was no choice but to forego my dark adaptation and switch on the torch.
I kept an eye on the sky, and once again the sea air proved to be my ally as it moved the clouds out of the way, revealing the brilliant bow of our home Galaxy and the thousands of stars normally hidden from view behind the orange glow of the ‘city’ I like to call home. Spellbound, I turned off the torch, let my eyes readjust and allowed the Milky Way to lead me to my bed.
Dr Ezzy Pearson is BBC Sky at Night Magazine’s news editor. She gained her PhD in extragalactic astronomy at Cardiff University
Getting to, and around, the Isles of Scilly
By sea or by air, you have a choice of transport
There are three main ways to get to the Isles of Scilly – by plane, ferry or helicopter. All operate seasonally (only the plane from Land’s End operates year-round) and are weather dependant – poor conditions can cause flight delays and cancellations. The Scillonian Ferry operates in all but the worst weather – the crossing can be choppy at the best of times.
Skybus flights:
• From Land’s End – £97.95 single
• From Newquay – £138.95 single
• From Exeter – £191 single
Scillonian Ferry: from Penzance – £61.95 single
Helicopter: from Penzance – £129 single Prices correct at time of print.
For more details visit: www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk and penzancehelicopters.co.uk
‘Tripper’ boats shuttle to and from all five of the inhabited islands, just be sure to check the last return. Many of the boats are suspended in the winter months, so if visiting then – or if you want to travel out of hours – consult www.scillyboating.co.uk/services about private hire. Once on the islands, you’ll be able to get everywhere on foot, though most accommodation providers will be happy to meet you on the dock when you arrive to carry luggage.
Places to stay on St Martin’s
From camping to self-catered cottages to a luxury hotel, there are all sorts of options for accommodation on the island
Shepherd’s hut at the Vineyard
A self-catered hut located next to the island’s vineyard. It has a yard sheltered by hedges where personal telescopes can be set up. www.stmartinsvineyard.co.uk
Karma hotel
A fabulous hotel with a prime beachfront location and an incredible view, for those who are after a comfortable stay with lots of little luxuries. karmagroup.com
St Martin’s campsite
If your prefer to be closer to nature, the campsite offers a low-cost option. Facilities include heated showers, laundry and free Wi-Fi. www.stmartinscampsite.co.uk
B&Bs
For a homier feel, there are two guest houses on the island – Polreath (pictured) and Fuschia Cottage. www.scillyman.co.uk www.polreath.com
Self-catered cottages
If you’re part of a larger group, there are a number of chalets and cottages run by the inhabitants of the island, which sleep up to six people. www.stmartinsscilly.co.uk
Things to do in the day
St Martin’s is just as spectacular to see in daylight as in the dark
While stargazing might be the main reason you are visiting the Isles of Scilly, it’s not the only thing you’ll want to do – especially if you are travelling with family. Fortunately, there are lots of things to do during daylight hours and here’s some recommendations:
Take a tour and enjoy wine tasting at St Martin’s Vineyard. Browse the local art and goods at the island’s shops.
Watch the local birds and wildlife, including seals which swim along the coast.
Hire a kayak or paddleboard – rentals available April to October. Hop on the ferry and visit the other islands for the day.