Northern Lights and shooting stars: An awesome astronomical spectacular at RSPB Bempton Cliffs near Bridlington

As I drove down the dark country lane to the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs I caught sight of a Barn Owl which swooped down low next to my car – a good omen for the night ahead I thought.

I met Poppy, reserve manager, who explained the normal schedule for the evening had been cast aside. The Aurora Borealis had been spotted atop the dramatic cliffs and everyone was taking photos outside.

I joined the group as the winter night air stung my face, the collective excitement already palpable. Nicole Carr and Simon Scott, the fantastic duo behind Astro Dog, introduced themselves and started explaining how the evening would progress.

The pair excitedly told us we had been blessed with the perfect clear sky for stargazing and we were being treated to two incredible astronomical phenomena; the vibrant colours of the Northern Lights as well as a meteor shower (one of the most anticipated of the year), with onlookers possibly being able to see 150 meteors an hour.

I managed to catch seven meteors shooting across the cloudless night sky, and after quickly running out of wishes for my ‘shooting stars’ I was left with a quiet sense of awe which lasted all evening.

Nicole went around the group ensuring that everyone could take photos of the Aurora and gave tips on how to take the best snaps.

Unfortunately for me, my ancient phone was not up to scratch and I ended up with 20 photos of a black void in my camera roll.

Nicole was fantastic and rounded those of us up who couldn't take photos and showed us the colourful display on one of their cameras. Mesmerised by the colours, this was the first time I had ever seen the Northern Lights in real time, and it is a memory I will never forget.

The area outside the RSPB visitor centre was dotted with red lanterns, because red light does not affect light pollution as intensely as a bright white light.

This meant we could still see the vast night sky while keeping us safe from tripping over each other as we made our way to the telescopes.

There, Simon took out an incredible laser pen which showed up against the inky black night, taking us on a tour of the vast and twinkling sky.

I am an utter novice at stargazing so I felt very reassured when Simon started with the basics, showing us ‘the Plough’ and how to find the North Star.

We were all quietly transfixed as he traversed the night sky, showing us ‘The Harp’, ‘Summer Triangle’ and the ‘Milky Way’ (not just a chocolate bar).

Simon and Nicole then set up three telescopes so we could see the planets Jupiter and Saturn. I was gobsmacked to see Saturn’s iconic rings; something I had only seen in science textbooks or on a Brian Cox programme.

We then went on to see a cluster of stars called ‘The Seven Sisters’ as well as the Andromeda Galaxy. Simon explained that the light from the Andromeda Galaxy we could see was actually from 2.5 million years ago, a fact which made my head hurt to comprehend.

While we all took turns looking through the telescopes, Luna the dog and Astro Dog’s namesake came to join in the fun. She is black, the colour of the night sky, so a little red light was attached to her collar to ensure she didn't cause too much chaos. Her sleek and excitable form made its way round the group, saying hello like a very friendly anglerfish.

As the workshop came to a close, we took refuge in the much warmer Visitor Centre and were treated to hot drinks made by the lovely RSPB staff.

We all took a seat while Simon and Nicole used a projector to show us examples of their incredible photography. The welcoming duo let us ask as many questions as we wanted and were affable, knowledgeable and engaging.

On the drive back home, although my fingers felt like they might turn to ice and get stuck to my steering wheel, I left the event feeling light and bubbly- a new passion kindled and a thirst to learn more about our stunning skies.

2026 is bringing a lot of excitement for Astro Dog, they went on a trip to Norway and have secured a new partnership at Howsham Hall near Malton.

Their events at Bempton Cliffs are hopefully continuing as a monthly commitment while the skies are dark. To me, it is well worth digging out that winter coat from the back of the wardrobe and trekking out into the chilly Yorkshire night air to have an entrancing evening full of learning, adventure and of course, stars.

Visit https://astro-dog.co.uk/ for more on Astro Dog and https://events.rspb.org.uk/bemptoncliffs to see what else is on at RSPB Bempton cliffs.