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Star Count ran from 26th Feb-6th Mar, mapping the beauty of dark skies

Dilys Merry
By Dilys Merry
5th March 2022

Star Count Week 2022 ran from Saturday 26th February to Sunday 6th March, when stargazers all over the UK logged their view of the stars to map truly dark skies – and places where light pollution spoilt the night. Lots of you joined us in this nationwide citizen science project to improve the quality of our night skies.

Herefordshire really stepped up to the mark in 2021 – we had a whopping 66 skywatchers, up from 30 in 2020. We’re still waiting to find out if we made it to 100 this time! Every result helps give us a better picture of light polluted areas both across the county and compared to the rest of the UK.

It’s very simple and doesn’t require any scientific know-how or equpiment, just some warm clothing and a bit of patience. We asked you just to step outside and let your eyes grow used to the dark. It’s worth the wait as your eyesight adjusts and more and more stars become visible. And then to count the number of stars you could spot in a particular part of the constellation of Orion the hunter.

A star map of Orion the hunter - complete with his bow!
A star map of Orion the hunter – complete with his bow!

We also had a family activity pack too to get children excited and involved!

Read on here to find out more about the importance of dark skies and why dark sky protection has been featured on national television.

Man and boy counting the stars in the constellation of Orion
Abigail Oliver