Contributed Collaborative Post
The UK is extremely lucky for the incredible night skies we get to enjoy all year round. While many of us might rightfully begrudge the cloudy skies that often dampen the potential of a night’s stargazing, the clear skies we do get are all the more worth it.
Our national parks are naturally the best places to go for getting the least-obstructed view, but what if you want to stargaze from home? There’s no point standing out in the garden and craning your neck for five uncomfortable minutes, when you could have a fully-featured home stargazing sanctuary of your own to enjoy. But where should you start?
Location
The most important aspect of your new garden stargazing sanctuary is, of course, location. You need to choose somewhere that’s far away from other light sources.
Light pollution is hugely impactful for the quality of your sky view – so much so that living a little too close to the city centre could be enough to kibosh your efforts. Still, it’s worth a go! Your spot also needs to have as much sky visible as possible; essentially, no trees dangling overhead.
Atmosphere
Next, let’s build a little atmosphere. You could fence or cordon off your chosen section of garden, and even create a little gravel bed as a standalone patio-style area for settling into. Solar garden lights could improve the mood, and even help you find your way over in the dark – just make sure they’re dim enough not to affect your view.
Comfort
Now to make your stargazing space comfortable. Furniture is a must, even if only to save your neck from prolonged periods of skyward gawping. Sun-loungers or outdoor reclining armchairs are ideal. Temperature is an inevitable enemy of your comfort, too, so make sure you have cosy blankets to hand!
Equipment
It’s time to get a bit serious now, in looking at some of the kit you might like to gather for your nocturnal reclination. The naked eye is more than enough for enjoying the majesty of the night sky, particularly when it comes to enjoying constellations in their totality; however, a good pair of binoculars can go a very long way to unlocking some of the night sky’s more exciting celestial secrets.
Once you’re fully entrenched in your hobby, you might consider investing in a good telescope! Reflecting telescopes can be large and bulky, but can produce incredible views. So if you have a safe, out-of-the-way place to store them, you should consider the investment.
Preparation
Though the sky is a permanent thing, every night sky is different. From scheduled celestial events to rare phenomena, each night of viewing could promise something spectacular. Giving yourself a bit of time in the evening to research and prepare will absolutely pay dividends.
This is a contributed collaborative post
