Stargazing Holidays in The Lake District
Looking to the heavens to understand the universe is both romantic and interesting. If you are looking for a place to have a stargazing holiday, then The Lake District is the place to be!
The Coppermines has a large range of cottages perfect for stargazing in the lakes, from simply sitting out in the evening and admiring the stars from the garden to being close enough to access stargazing and dark sky events that happen in this beautiful part of the UK.
You can find a range of Lake District cottages perfect for stargazing here:
Stargazing in the Lake District
Being a rural area, the Lake District does not have much light pollution which makes it perfect for Stargazing. If you are coming to see the stars here are some top tips to make the most of the opportunity:
Give the Dark Time – Adjusting to the dark can take your eyes around 20 minutes so give yourself plenty of time to get adjusted to the dark before you try and see the stars.
Night Vision Necessary – If you do need to use a torch then get a red one (you can put some red film over a regular torch or paint a cheap light with red nail polish) this will help with the night vision and keep your eyes adjusted to the dark.
Dress for the Stars – After the sun goes down it can get cold even in the summer. So, if you are stargazing in the winter (the best time to see the most) ensure you have lots of layers, warm hat, scarf and gloves and hopefully a thermos of something warm and delicious!
Magnification Required – For the keen stargazers bring your portable telescope, for the rest of us bring your binoculars. You can see lots more through a lens, more than simply the naked eye anyway.
There’s an App for That! – If you are new to stargazing or simply want to know more, there are lots of great apps for your phone. Some where you simply h9old the screen up to the sky and it tells you the names of the stars, constellations and even gives background detail on what you can see.
Some Nights are Better than Others – If you are very keen, come in Winter and then check for the full moon dates. The full moon is magical to see in the night sky but the light from the moon can obscure some detail in the stars.
Stargazing Events in the Lake District
You can create your own stargazing event if you choose a Lake District Cottage with some outside space that you can relax in at night or there are more structured events that happen occasionally that you can book yourself on. Be sure to catch dark sky and star gazing events at Grizedale Forest, held by astronomer Robert Ince, visit the field centre at Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre or at explore events at Allen Bank in Grasmere owned by the National Trust.
