{"id":28011,"date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=28011"},"modified":"2022-02-02T15:10:33","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T15:10:33","slug":"islands-of-darkness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2022\/01\/20\/islands-of-darkness\/","title":{"rendered":"Islands of darkness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Stargazing on the Isles of Scilly<\/h4>\n\n

The Isles of Scilly are home to some of the darkest skies in the UK. Ezzy Pearson visited St Martin\u2019s island to experience them\u2026<\/p>\n\n

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The Isles of Scilly aren\u2019t quite like anywhere I\u2019ve 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\u2019ll 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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Though the skies were sometimes overcast, the sea air soon cleared the clouds<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

But the real draw of the Isles of Scilly (at least for stargazers), is not what the island has, but what it does not <\/em>have \u2013 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\u2019t wait for night-time.<\/p>\n\n

The airport is located on the island of St Mary\u2019s, but my destination was on St Martin\u2019s, meaning I had to hop on a boat over to the island. I was soon settling into my shepherd\u2019s hut next to the St Martin\u2019s Vineyard.<\/p>\n\n

As it started to get dark, I made my way towards the reason for my trip \u2013 the island\u2019s 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\u2019t quite prepared for when night fell.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cAs soon as I got here I thought, \u201cGoodness me, this is a phenomenal dark-sky site\u2019,\u201d he remembers. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Building an observatory<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cOut of curiosity, I asked him how he built that observatory, and what was involved,\u201d says Thomson. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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The two community observatories built on the island of St Martin\u2019s <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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LEFT: The 14-inch Meade LX200 ACF telescope inside one of the domes
RIGHT: Mark Holmes first came up with the idea for an island observatory<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

A plan in a pub quickly turned into a fully-fledged proposal to build an astronomical observatory, she says. \u201cOriginally we called ourselves the St Martin\u2019s Astronomical Society, but that got shortened to Smartarses! Then someone suggested COSMOS \u2013 Community Observatory St Martin\u2019s On Scilly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The project took four years along with donations from private individuals, the Scilly Steamship Company and a grant of \u00a360,000 from the Rural Development Programme for England. In 2019, the observatory became a reality.<\/p>\n\n

Kitting it out<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

The observatory\u2018s 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\u2019s pristine skies. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cI came along with my camera bits and pieces, but you can\u2019t bring an awful lot on those flying boxes,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n

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Coastal setting: a lunar halo illuminates the night sky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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Incredible dark skies allow stargazers to enjoy the wonders of the Milky Way <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
Finding dark skies<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

By now I was raring to get a look at these fabled dark skies. Just one problem \u2013 it had clouded over and started to rain. I wasn\u2019t about to give up though. Throughout the day I\u2019d seen that the sea air had kept the clouds constantly moving and even a completely overcast sky hadn\u2019t lasted for long. All I had to do was wait and, fortunately, I already had an evening of entertainment planned.<\/p>\n\n

I\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n

What greeted me were some of the darkest skies I\u2019d 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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

It was halfway through this celestial tour that I realised something peculiar \u2013 the stars were not twinkling. \u201cThat\u2019s because we\u2019re surrounded by the sea, it means the air is more stable,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n

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\u2019d ever seen, with all four of its Galilean moons perfectly clear.<\/p>\n\n

We didn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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The inky dark skies over the Isles of Scilly are ideal for keen astrophotographers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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The Day Mark on St Martin\u2019s was built as a navigation aid in 1683<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what makes it all worthwhile \u2013 when someone looks through the telescope and sees Jupiter for the first time, and says \u2018wow, that\u2019s amazing\u2019,\u201d smiles Anna Brown, who organised the Dark Skies Week. \u201cIt\u2019s about seeing everyone\u2019s enthusiasm, and helping them understand a bit more about the sky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

A starry guide home<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Slowly though, the stars started to wink out. I had to assume it was the clouds rolling in \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n

It was time to make my way back to my shepherd\u2019s hut. Carefully though \u2013 as soon as I was away from the light of the hall, I couldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n

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 \u2018city\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Ezzy Pearson <\/strong>is BBC Sky at Night Magazine\u2019s <\/em>news editor. She gained her PhD in extragalactic astronomy at Cardiff University<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

Getting to, and around, the Isles of Scilly<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

By sea or by air, you have a choice of transport<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three main ways to get to the Isles of Scilly \u2013 by plane, ferry or helicopter. All operate seasonally (only the plane from Land\u2019s End operates year-round) and are weather dependant \u2013 poor conditions can cause flight delays and cancellations. The Scillonian Ferry operates in all but the worst weather \u2013 the crossing can be choppy at the best of times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skybus flights:<\/strong>
\u2022 From Land\u2019s End – \u00a397.95 single
\u2022 From Newquay – \u00a3138.95 single
\u2022 From Exeter – \u00a3191 single<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scillonian Ferry:<\/strong> from Penzance – \u00a361.95 single<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helicopter: <\/strong>from Penzance – \u00a3129 single Prices correct at time of print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more details visit: www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk<\/a> <\/strong>and penzancehelicopters.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Tripper\u2019 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 \u2013 or if you want to travel out of hours \u2013 consult www.scillyboating.co.uk\/services<\/a> <\/strong>about private hire. Once on the islands, you\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

Places to stay on St Martin\u2019s<\/h4>\n\n

From camping to self-catered cottages to a luxury hotel, there are all sorts of options for accommodation on the island<\/p>\n\n

Shepherd\u2019s hut at the Vineyard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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A self-catered hut located next to the island\u2019s vineyard. It has a yard sheltered by hedges where personal telescopes can be set up. www.stmartinsvineyard.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Karma hotel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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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<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

St Martin\u2019s campsite<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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<\/strong>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<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

B&Bs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

<\/strong>For a homier feel, there are two guest houses on the island \u2013 Polreath (pictured) and Fuschia Cottage. www.scillyman.co.uk<\/a> <\/strong>www.polreath.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Self-catered cottages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

<\/strong>If you\u2019re 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<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

Things to do in the day<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

St Martin\u2019s is just as spectacular to see in daylight as in the dark<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Enjoy fine wines at St Martin\u2019s Vineyard<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While stargazing might be the main reason you are visiting the Isles of Scilly, it\u2019s not the only thing you\u2019ll want to do \u2013 especially if you are travelling with family. Fortunately, there are lots of things to do during daylight hours and here\u2019s some recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a tour and enjoy wine tasting at St Martin\u2019s Vineyard. Browse the local art and goods at the island\u2019s shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the local birds and wildlife, including seals which swim along the coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hire a kayak or paddleboard \u2013 rentals available April to October. Hop on the ferry and visit the other islands for the day.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

Photos: COSMOS, EZZY PEARSON, \u00a9 GOOGLE, JOHN KEATES\/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, VISIT ISLES OF SCILLY, NIC HAMILTON PHOTOGRAPHIC\/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, ANTHONY COLLINS\/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, NEIL MCALLISTER\/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, ED MARSHALL\/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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