February 12 – February 28

The South Downs Dark Skies Festival is back for 2021. Running between 12 – 28 February, the entire festival will be online!

This year our Dark Skies Festival is all about the personal experience of the night skies where you live, learning about the constellations, the history and folk lore that goes with them, and the nocturnal wildlife that depends on them.

We’ll also be finding out why looking at the stars is so good for our mental well-being and what we can all do to protect them into the future.

We’ll have live linkups to the South Downs Planetarium for tours of the night sky, and join South Downs National Park Rangers as they set up for an evening of stargazing in their own back garden.

We’ll be showing the winners of the first South Downs Astrophotography Competition throughout the festival, and running a Dark Skies Quiz for you to enter and stand a chance of winning your very own telescope.

We’ll be talking about what wildlife comes out at night on a night-time safari with rangers and looking for photos or film footage you have taken in your own garden.

We’ll also be talking to two authors about how they have come to believe that it is more important than ever to reconnect with our dark skies heritage.

With lots of activities for families to do at home during the festival there will be something for everyone.

View the full programme here