Stars attraction on show around Whitby at Dark Skies Festival events

Henrique Araujo, Professor of Physics at Imperial College, who is one of the world’s leading experts on dark matter, will be speaking at Whitby Museum on Friday 15 February.

Also in Whitby, guests can enjoy an evening dining on-board The Endeavour Experience while learning more about how astronomy was important during Captain Cook’s voyage, including the significance of plotting the Transit of Venus.

Astronomer Richard Darn will be on-hand for a spot of stargazing from the deck of the HM Bark Endeavour replica.

For the first time, the National Trust will help host a special stargazing evening on the cliff tops at Ravenscar.

Other new stargazing evenings will be held at Forest Holidays in Cropton and Cober Hill in the North York Moors.

Activity seekers can enjoy moonlit and starry skies while trail running at Dalby Forest or join one of the walks with guided walking specialist Large Outdoors at Sutton Bank, Chop Gate, Lastingham or Robin Hood’s Bay.

A thought-provoking documentary highlighting the enormous impact of light pollution on the world’s population, wildlife and the environment will be shown as part of the festival.

Saving the Dark was first released in America in 2018 and will be shown at five exclusive screenings in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks during the Dark Skies Festival.

The documentary, which is backed by the International Dark Sky Association, has been credited with drawing attention to the impact of excessive and improper lighting.

Visit www.darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk for more info.