“The constellation of Cepheus as seen from the remote wilderness of the Galloway region in south-west Scotland.”
Image Credit: Alamy
“We have lost the experience of looking at the dark skies because most people live in cities and towns, which are badly affected by light pollution. Some might be able to find the North Star or the Plough but most would be unable to identify any constellations at all. Looking at an unspoilt night sky speaks to something very primitive in us. Astronomy was one of the first instances when human beings encountered something outside their experience and tried to explain it” – Steve Owens, the UK co-ordinator for Unesco’s International Year of Astronomy
Galloway Forest Park, located in Scotland, UK, boasts 300 square miles of diverse terrain. Naturally, astronomers have begun to harness the dark-sky potential found in the park. Consequently, the International Dark-Sky (IDA) has sent representatives out into the park to investigate claims of the darkest and clearest views at night. On the Bortle scale, created by John E. Bortle in 2001 to measure the brightness of the night sky and stars, Galloway falls into (level 3) the Rural Sky category. Here are the complete constituents for the Bortle scale:
“The Bortle scale: Visibility levels
1. Black sky The Milky Way, Scorpius and Sagittarius cast shadows2. Dark sky Airglow weakly visible near the horizon
3. Rural sky Some light pollution at the horizon
4. Rural/suburban transition Milky Way begins to lose clarity
5. Suburban sky Clouds become brighter than the sky
6. Bright suburban sky The Milky Way is only visible at zenith
7. Suburban/urban transition Sky takes on greyish hue, light sources visible
8. Urban sky Sky glows orange
9/10. Inner city sky Only the moon and planets are visible”
Also, here is a picture to help visually distinguish each level apart from one another:
Image credit: Stellarium.org
Although not classified as Dark or Rural sky, improvements to the nearby hamlet Glentrool, which contains 23 unshielded outdoor lights, would probably help Galloway Forest Park achieve a higher status. After the IDA has conducted its review, the field workers will convene with officials in IDA’s American Headquarters, to determine the status of Galloway Forest Park, along with Hungary’s Hortobagy National Park. Best of luck to both locations!
