Are you ready to experience the magic of the night sky like never before? Then you'll want to add the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in North Yorkshire, England to your must-visit list. This designated Dark Skies reserve is known for its exceptional quality of night skies and low levels of light pollution, making it an excellent destination for stargazing and observing the wonders of the cosmos.
At River View, we understand how special it is to be able to experience the beauty of the night sky in all its glory. That's why we offer a range of self-catering accommodation options, each with its own private garden and patio area, perfect for stargazing. And to make things even easier, we provide our guests with their own star gazing binoculars and star maps, so you can easily find your way around the night sky and make the most of your stargazing experience. If you want to venture further afield, Coldstones Cut offers some of the best skyscapes in the area even in summer. On a good day, you can see as far as York with the right telescope.
During your stay, you'll be able to see a wide range of celestial objects, including stars, planets, galaxies, and more. The dark skies of the AONB are particularly well-suited for viewing deep sky objects such as nebulae and star clusters, which can be difficult to see in areas with more light pollution. In general, some of the stars and celestial objects you might be able to see in the night sky in early March in the northern hemisphere include:
Orion, a constellation with a distinctive hourglass shape that is easy to spot in the winter sky.
Sirius, the brightest star in the sky and part of the constellation Canis Major.
Procyon, the second-brightest star in Canis Major.
Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in the constellation Orion that is one of the largest stars known to exist.
Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus.
We hope this has inspired you to plan a dark skies holiday with us. We can't wait to welcome you to River View Pateley and help you make the most of this truly special experience.