Why space travel is hard
Thursday 30th October 2025 from 19:00pm to 22:00pm
Croglin Village Hall
Croglin, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA4 9RZ, North West England
Come along for an exciting dark skies event in Croglin Village Hall, on the western edge of the North Pennines on Cumbria’s eastern fellside, Thursday 30 October, 7pm to 10pm.
The evening will start with a talk from Andy Gray on why space travel is hard. Humanity has come a long way in the past 100 years, breaking free from gravity and reaching Earth orbit and the Moon. Andy will explore the challenges of exploring beyond Earth and how likely it is that humans will be able to venture across the Milky Way and continue exploring the Universe.
After Andy’s talk (and if the sky is clear) we will do some informal stargazing at a dark site (field) a short walk from the village hall. Be prepared for a potentially muddy walk and rocky/uneven ground. Gates but no stiles. If live stargazing is not possible there will be an opportunity to ask more questions, together with a demonstration of the free Stellarium planetarium app.
This event takes place as part of the North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2025.
Event organiser
North Pennines National Landscape is organising this event
Please contact North Pennines National Landscape directly for more details regarding this event or, if appropriate, contact the event venue.
Email: [email protected]
Website: North Pennines National Landscape
Twitter: @NorthPennAONB
Facebook: North Pennines National Landscape
Event booking
For full details on how to attend this event, including how to book, please see the event's official website.
Visit event websiteEvent 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.
Thu 30th Oct
Local light pollution
Croglin Village Hall is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a 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 Croglin Village Hall. 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.