SOUTH Downs National Park is said to be one of the best places to stargaze in the world as we approach the longest night of the year tonight, a study has revealed.
Five of the top 15 locations for stargazing were in England, Wales and Ireland – while other locations ranged from the US to New Zealand.
The study, by holiday home rental service HomeToGo, used information from the dark sky places around the world, as recognised by the Dark-Sky Association for their dark and starry nights, and combined them with the number of holiday homes in the area and the median price per night.
The results show that people need not to travel far to find a good stargazing spot, with the 628 square miles South Downs providing plenty of areas to stargaze, away from light pollution.
It revealed that South Downs National Park is 14th on its list with a score of 23.5 out of 30. The national park is also second in the whole of England, only behind Exmoor National Park in Devon.
Winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.
A HomeToGo spokeswoman said: “With surprising proximity to England’s capital, the South Downs National Park is the perfect destination for weekend breaks away from the lights of London.
“The scenic market towns of Midhurst (median nightly price for a holiday home: £116.76) and Petworth (median nightly price for a holiday home: £124.43) both boast nearby spots from which visitors can expect some superlative starscapes.”
The full list can be found here:
1. Snowdonia National Park, Wales - 28.1 / 30.0
2. Kerry, Ireland - 27.0 / 30.0
3. Aoraki Mackenzie, New Zealand - 26.7 / 30.0
4. Pic du Midi, France - 26.6 / 30.0
5. Rhön, Germany - 25.5 / 30.0
6. Gabriela Mistral / AURA, Chile - 24.9 / 30.0
7. Flagstaff, Arizona, USA - 24.8 / 30.0
8. Cévennes National Park, France - 24.6 / 30.0
9. Mont-Mégantic, Canada - 24.3 / 30.0
10. Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales - 23.9 / 30.0
=11. Sierra la Rana, Texas, USA - 23.8 / 30.0
=11. Exmoor National Park, England - 23.8 / 30.0
=11. Westhavelland Nature Park, Germany - 23.8 / 30.0
14. South Downs National Park, England - 23.5 / 30.0
15. Dripping Springs, Arizona, USA - 23.4 / 30.0
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