Did you know that April is Global Astronomy Month? Not only that but from April 15 to 22, it’s International Dark Sky Week – an annual event held during April's new moon that encourages people around the world to switch their lights off and witness the night sky in all its glory, giving us a glimpse of a world without light pollution.
To mark the occasion, BestGamblingSites.com (yes, those renowned astronomy experts), have analysed light pollution data to predict the best and worst locations in the UK for stargazing this month.
Unsurprisingly, their study revealed that London is the worst destination for stargazing in the UK – scoring a mere 28.9 out of 100 for star visibility. The capital has the highest artificial brightness score of all areas in the UK – almost four times more than the rating known as ‘very high light intensity’, which sounds pretty bright.
These are the best locations in the UK to go stargazing (the scores are out of 100):
1. St Davids, Pembrokeshire: 74.4
2. Uckfield, East Sussex: 73.8
3. Truro, Cornwall: 73.5
4. Wells, Somerset: 73.2
5. Kendal, Cumbria: 72.9
6. Ripon, North Yorkshire: 71.4
7. Winchester, Hampshire: 71.1
8. Eastbourne, East Sussex: 70.8
9. Haverhill, Suffolk: 70.8
10. Elgin, Moray: 70.2
11. Chippenham, Wiltshire: 69.8
12. Ely, Cambridgeshire: 69.8
13. Salisbury, Wiltshire: 69.5
14. Folkestone, Kent: 68.9
15. Hastings, East Sussex: 68.6
So what are you waiting for? Make April the month you escape the city to see some stunning night skies.
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