Hot on the heels of the popular TV programme, Stargazing Live which returns to the BBC for its third series this week, experts from Scarborough and Ryedale Astronomical Society (S&RAS) will be setting up their telescopes on the cliff tops on Saturday 12January.
The big skies above the cliffs are particularly dark, being so far away from artificial light sources, making them an ideal spot for viewing the planets and stars.
Andy Exton from S&RAS is looking forward to the prospect of bringing the wonders of the universe to a new audience:
“Working together with the RSPB means we can introduce those with an interest in wildlife to a different aspect of the natural world”.
And it promises to be a good night to be out with a telescope. Weather permitting, there’ll be plenty to see. The winter constellations of Taurus, Orion, Auriga, Gemini and Cancer will be visible along with the Orion Nebula, which isthe ‘sword’ below Orion’s Belt.
Visitors will also be able to see The Seven Sisters (or Pleiades) and the planet Jupiter will also be visible with the Galilean Satellites so it should be a spectacular show.
It will even be possible to see the Andromeda Galaxy, a close neighbour to our own Milky Way, just by looking up. This is the most distant object visible to the naked eye at approximately 2.5millionlight years away.
And it might interest you to know that stars don’t actually twinkle. Twinkling, or stellar scintillation, is an effect caused by light passing through the Earth’s atmosphere.
Those who can't aren't able to attend will be pleased to know further star gazing events are planned.