TAKE PART: 2 February – 23 February
Help us reclaim our dark skies
Dark, starry skies are one of the most magical sights the countryside can offer. But light pollution means many of us can’t see the stars. We want to reconnect people with the wonder of our glorious night skies.
You can take part in #StarCount2019 and help us map light pollution, to ensure more of us can enjoy the most magical sight the countryside has to offer.
Our Star Count will take place this February, when we’ll be asking you to look up at the night sky and tell us how many you can see in Orion. You can do this from anywhere in England.
The results will help us to create a new map to show how light pollution affects everybody’s views of the night sky.
How to take part in Star Count 2019:
Try to do your count on a night when the sky is clear, with no haze or clouds, then wait until after 7pm so the sky is really dark. We’ll be accepting results taken from Saturday 2 February until Saturday 23 February, but the best time to do the count is from 2-9 February, when the moon is smallest, so the skies are darkest! Once you’ve found your spot:
Looking south into the night sky, find the Orion constellation, with its four corners and ‘three-star belt’. Take a few moments to let your eyes adjust, then simply count the number of stars you can see within the rectangle made by the four corner stars. You should not count the corners, but you can count the three stars in the middle – the belt. See illustration below.
Count and make a note of the number of stars seen with the naked eye (not with telescopes or binoculars) and then simply complete the online survey form (coming soon).
Share your experiences with others on social media using #StarCount2019 @CPRE @BritAstro
Check back to see the national results and see how your area compares to the rest of the country!

Details of where to submit your results will be available closer to the time, but for now you can pinpoint your ideal viewing spot with our current interactive Night Blight map

More details available here:
https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-do/countryside/dark-skies/star-count-2019?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=campaigns-update-2019-jan&utm_content=Campaigns+Update+2019+Jan