Stargazing Workshop at Hengistbury Head
Monday 6th January 2025 from 18:00pm to 20:00pm
Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre
Hengistbury Head Nature Reserve, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH6 4EN, South West
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what that bright star is? Pondered on how the planets and solar system formed? If so, then join us as we take a tour through space from the beautiful location of Hengistbury Head, just over the Hampshire border in neighbouring Dorset.
Local astronomer Kate Earl will take us on a journey through our night sky, pointing out the bright stars and their constellations, as well as showing us the Moon, star clusters, nebulae and planets through a telescope.
Along the way we’ll cover a wide range of topics including how stars form, the myths and legends behind some of the constellations, and how our Stone Age ancestors might have used the night sky.
If you have binoculars feel free to bring them along to this event. Please note that there may be a short amount of walking on uneven ground in the dark but most of the event is held on surfaced paths.
Event booking
Event darkness
The below chart shows if and when the skies will be at their darkest during this event. Moonlight is shown in light yellow and the Sun's twilight in light blue. Midnight on the date shown is shown as a white line with sunset to the left and sunrise the next morning to the right. A black background with stars shows the best times for stargazing.
Mon 6th Jan
Local light pollution
Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to arural rural location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite.
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Urban
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Suburban
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Semi-rural
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Rural
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Dark site
The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.
Forthcoming events
Below is a list of events at Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre. View these events on our calendar, add them to your calendar or Google Calendar.
Stay and gaze nearby
Stay at one of these stargazing-friendly accommodation providers.