Stargazing in the dark skies of Yorkshire

In the daylight hours, we all know how much Yorkshire has to offer, but come nightfall, when the spectacular scenery is less, how should we put it … visible, we usually head home to our cosy cottages or to the nearest restaurant or bar. But what about mixing things up for a change? Forget larks, it’s time to become a night owl and head out for an adventure at twilight. There’s a whole new universe to discover simply by looking up.

Yorkshire is home to two International Dark Sky Reserves, so when day turns to night, you can see everything from the Milky Way to the spectacular Northern Lights in the inky skies of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales.

Whether you fancy spending an evening under the stars in a bubbling hot tub or heading to the dark skies of Dalby Forest, browse our range of Yorkshire cottages to find the perfect base for you.

Skip to:

• International Dark Sky Reserves in Yorkshire
• What to see in the dark skies of Yorkshire
• Dark Skies Festival
• The best places to go stargazing in Yorkshire
• Map of dark skies locations in Yorkshire

International Dark Sky Reserves in Yorkshire

There are only 24 Dark Sky Reserves globally, and seven in the UK, so Yorkshire is particularly lucky to have bagged two of them. What makes a reserve special is that it’s already a protected area for its scientific, natural or cultural heritage. 

The amount of brightness in the sky directly above – what scientists call ‘zenith luminance’ – is been measured, and by nightfall, the Dales and the Moors have the level of light required to be awarded the ‘dark sky’ badge of honour.

The reserves earn their status from DarkSky – the internationally recognised authority on all things relating to light pollution. It also works towards conserving the reserves by certifying them. One aim of protecting these dark sky areas is to help the resident animals thrive too. 

You may be asking, what makes Yorkshire particularly dark? The answer is one of the reasons why we love it – because it’s blessed with so much wide-open space. The Dales and the North York Moors make up nearly 1,400 square metres of rolling countryside with very little light pollution, so when dusk falls, the darkness is staggering. 

Yorkshire Dales National Park

The largest of Yorkshire’s Designated Dark Sky Reserves is the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with 841 square metres of unspoilt landscape, comprising a ‘core area’ and a ‘peripheral’ or buffer around it. The Dales’ core area is the arc around (but not including) the market town of Hawes, with 90% of its streetlighting and residential properties dark-sky friendly. This takes in the uppermost part of Swaledale, Rawthey Valley, Garsdale, Littondale and Wharfedale, so head here for a starry, starry night.

If you’re coming from a built-up area, you may notice the velvety black of the night sky here, as opposed to the strange orange glow found above cities. 

North York Moors National Park 

The 554 square metres of the North York Moors National Park is also a designated Dark Sky Reserve. Since the moors are magnificently empty, the core area of lowest light pollution is right in the centre around the Danby Lodge National Park Centre, a recognised Dark Sky Discovery Site and somewhere you can find lots of information on the North York Moors.  

In the southwest of the national park, the village of Hawnby is also flying the dark-sky flag. It was one of England’s first villages to achieve dark sky-friendly status by changing exterior bulbs from bright to warm light and angling light fittings down. The village worked as a community to fix the dazzle, including at the aptly named Owl Inn where you can call for refreshments after your stargazing experience.

What to see in the dark skies of Yorkshire

If the moon is just about the only thing you can name in the night sky, don’t worry; websites such as Go Stargazing and phone apps such as Night Sky and Stellarium can help you navigate your way around the heavens. The great news is that when you’re in a dark sky reserve, you’ll be able to see at least 2,000 stars rather than the few hundred in a built-up area. 

Planets, constellations and the Milky Way

One of the first things to try to spot in the night sky is the Milky Way, which looks like a pale ribbon spanning the sky and is made up of billions of stars. The best time to see it to its full effect is when the moon is new.

Among the thousands of stars are some recognisable constellations that can be seen from Yorkshire, including Ursa Major, which contains The Plough (also known as The Big Dipper), Cassiopeia and Orion. Polaris (or the North Star) is a very useful point for navigation; not only is it one of the brightest stars in the sky, but it marks true north and remains in a stationary position throughout the year.   

The planets of Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Mars are visible with the naked eye in the dark skies of Yorkshire, while Uranus and Neptune are fainter but can be seen with binoculars or a telescope. The best way to tell planets from the stars is that stars twinkle and planets don’t, so look for a bright and steady light in the sky. 

Shooting stars and meteor showers

A meteor or shooting star is also something to keep your eye out for – blink though and you’ll miss it. Amazingly, a shooting star is only a speck of dust the size of a grain of sand but entering the Earth’s atmosphere causes it to burn up, creating a spectacular fizzy streak in the sky. Sporadic shooting stars can happen randomly at any time of the year and are typically caused by a larger asteroid breaking up. 

Meteor showers are much more predictable and happen at the same time each year. Look out for the Perseids, which can be seen in mid-August and the Geminids, which happen each December.

The Northern Lights

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is another celestial treat that can sometimes be seen in the dark skies of Yorkshire – the greeny-purple rippling display is caused by electrically charged particles from the sun colliding with natural gases in the atmosphere. You’re most likely to see them between September and March, but you can track when they’re most visible in Yorkshire here.

Dark Skies Festival

The Dark Skies Festival is a programme of events nationwide, typically during the last week in October, where you can get together with other star-spotters to enjoy the night sky in a range of different ways. 

Fancy a stroll on a beach, where nothing but the moonlight illuminates the sand? Or perhaps you’d like to spot the famous rings of Saturn, as guided by an astronomer? There are lots of imaginative ways to have fun under the cover of darkness.

The best places to go stargazing in Yorkshire

If you’ve wrapped up warm and are ready to set out, here are a few suggestions for the best places to gaze heavenwards and take in all the night sky has to offer. 

Dalby Forest

Dalby Forest has a cracking line-up of astronomical events year-round in its specially designed stargazing hub. It provides binoculars and telescopes to give a clear view of the moon and planets, or you can look further into deep space at double stars and nebulae. 

Even if it’s cloudy, you can still get a guided tour through the galaxy inside the Planetarium Dome that offers a 360-degree view of the night sky.

Sutton Bank

Sutton Bank, a breathtaking spot on the Hambleton Hills, is home to Sutton Bank Star and Nature Hub, where you can use the rotating dark skies drum (a large cylinder printed with star maps) to visualise the changing night sky throughout the seasons. 

If the weather is good, take advantage of an outdoor seating area or you can head inside the hub for a virtual tour of the universe by astronomer Richard Darn at one of his bookable events.

Malham National Park Centre

When you’re exploring the incredible scenery around Malham, the Malham National Park Centre provides a convenient locus, with helpful staff to point you in the right direction. The car park happens to be the location of the Dark Sky Discovery Site, so turn off your headlights and plunge into darkness to appreciate the blanket of stars. 

You can enjoy stargazing under your own steam or take part in one of the Magical New Moon Dark Night Walks that promise to deepen your connection to the cosmos.   

Tan Hill Inn

Britain’s highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn, is ideally located for a spot of stargazing, as it’s extremely remote. It’s high on a hill perched above Keld in Swaledale and is a named Dark Sky Reserve in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. 

The owners have capitalised on this by making sure their outside lights are subdued to minimise light pollution and can direct you to a good spot to set up any equipment and get comfortable. After your stargazing experience, you can head inside to warm up with a home-cooked meal, accompanied by a pint of Dark Skies Stout.

Goathland

With a prime spot under the dark skies of the North York Moors National Park, Goathland is a great choice for stargazing. This charming village will be recognisable to many as Aidensfield from the ITV drama Heartbeat and is less than 10 miles from Whitby and the Yorkshire coast. Park at the Goathland Viewpoint car park and you can look out over the surrounding heather-clad moorland during the day and enjoy a great view of the starry skies above at night. 

If you decide to spend the day here, there’s the North Yorkshire Moors Railway that chuffs its way between Whitby and Pickering, as well as the tumbling Mallyan Spout waterfall to marvel at and a quaint tea room where you can sample a Yorkshire cream tea.

Map of dark sky locations in Yorkshire

Plan your stargazing trip to Yorkshire with this handy map of the dark sky locations mentioned in this guide:

Book your stargazing getaway in Yorkshire

Head away from the bright lights of the big cities and into the dark depths of the countryside for some of the best stargazing in the world. You could always relax in a hot tub for the ultimate starry sky viewing spot – there are more than 200 Yorkshire holiday homes with hot tubs that can make this dream come true.