OUR STORY

My earliest memory involves looking at the night sky. I even know the date: 5^th February 1971! My grandmother told me that Apollo 14 had landed on the Moon and I looked out the window on a cold, clear night to gaze up at the southern skies. The Moon was high in the sky above a bright group of stars and she told me the story of Orion The Hunter. That was the beginning of my lifelong fascination with space.

As Dark Sky Ranger, I now get to share the legend of Orion and lots of other stories with the people who come to experience the night skies for themselves in Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park. On our Dark Sky Tours, we travel through space and time and every night is different. The most common comment people make is “Wow!” Being able to guide people in their exploration of the night sky is a real privilege and seeing their reactions when they see their first shooting star, the moons of Jupiter, or the Milky Way Galaxy arching overhead, is joyous.

When do they take place?

• Most events happen in the evening, although you can have late night and early morning experiences.
• Between August and May, when the night sky is darkest.

What might I see?

This changes throughout the year and at different times of night, as the skies shift overhead.

• The visible planets: Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, with occasional glimpses of Mercury.
• Our own Moon.
• The Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy (our nearest galactic neighbour).
• Constellations, like Orion, Leo and Draco.
• Deep Sky Objects, like the Orion Nebula, birthplace of stars.
• Bright stars, each of which has its own story to tell.
• Shooting stars, meteor showers and satellites.