Stargazing Event to take place at Beachy Head

The event, on Saturday, February 26, is being staged by the Eastbourne Astronomical Society in collaboration with Eastbourne Borough Council.

The public observation will take place between 6pm and 8pm outside the Beachy Head visitor centre. It will allow members of the public to look at clusters and groups of stars through telescopes belonging to society members.

The society says the Seven Sisters, a group of stars in the Taurus constellation, will be well placed for observation along with the Orion Nebulae, a massive gas cloud where stars are being born.

It is also hoped constellations of the winter sky will be observable too including the brightest star in the sky Sirius, called the Dog Star, and a much larger star known as Betelgeuse and its light that has taken more than 400 years to reach our skies.

Society members will be on hand to describe and explain what can be observed. There will also be a slide presentation on an introduction to astronomy within the Beachy Head Story visitor centre.

Eastbourne Borough Council’s lead member for tourism and culture Councillor Margaret Bannister said, “The skies above Beachy Head are classed as a Dark Sky Reserve, which means the area has been recognised for low levels of light pollution and good public access.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for residents and visitors to discover Beachy Head’s unique starry night sky and there’s a great chance people will see many spectacles including the Moon, planets, space satellites and shooting stars.

“It is easy to do stargazing. Simply wrap up warm, go outside on a clear night and look up – wherever you are there will be something to see. Working with Eastbourne Astronomical Society, we hope it will be a breath-taking and memorable experience.”

For more information visit HeritageEastbourne.com.