Ireland has some of the best dark sky reserves around and the longer nights beckon us out to appreciate them, writes Jason Osborne
Always having had a fascination with space and all things celestial, I’ve been strangely looking forward to the encroaching darkness of autumn and winter this year, and the possibilities it presents for seeing some of what the skies have to offer.
We’re currently journeying through the Season of Creation, which encourages us to not only care for and respect our immediate environment, but to appreciate and wonder at the vast variety of God’s works. Staring up at the silent immensity of the heavens above our heads is certainly a spiritual experience with the potential to give you a renewed understanding of God’s infinitude and yet his delicate care for us.
With this in mind, it’s worth considering taking advantage of Ireland’s excellent dark sky reserves as the daylight hours shorten. Astronomy, as with most things, can be as simple or complicated as you like, but here we’ll look at some of the simpler things you can do to ensure you see the “work of his hands” in all their glory.
Darkest skies
Ireland boasts some ideal places to bask in the glow of the night sky. Mayo Dark Sky Park received a Gold Tier standard of International Dark Sky Park in 2016, acknowledging it as one of the best places in the world to view the sky at night. Situated on the rugged west coast, vast grassland and wilderness with designated areas for astronomers results in a guaranteed experience of wonders, if only you get the weather for it. The second of Ireland’s certified International Dark Sky Association (IDA) sites is the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, featuring 700 square kilometres of near-perfectly dark skies.
While not certified, there are a number of other places around the country which offer good viewing experiences, if you’re inclined to leave the heavier population centres behind. Among these are:
– The Wicklow Mountains National Park
– Sheep’s Head Way in Co. Cork
– The Antrim coast (Designated ‘Milky Way Class’ by the Dark Sky Discovery Partnership, which means that the galaxy is visible on clear nights to the naked eye)
– The Aran Islands
These are but a few of Ireland’s dark sky gems, with more to be found if you care to pursue the hobby further. However, once there, what to do?
Beginner’s astronomy
There’s much pleasure to be taken in simply beholding a vast, starry expanse stretching out before you, but that enjoyment can be deepened by learning about what you’re looking at and where exactly to look to spot the stand-out features.
It doesn’t necessarily take thousands of euros worth of equipment or years of skill to get started with stargazing or amateur astronomy, your eyes, binoculars and a smartphone app being plenty to give you a sense of where to look, what to look for and means with which to see it.
In order to get started, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Pick your location carefully
Location is everything when it comes to stargazing, with the darkest skies offering stunning and memorable views to the naked eye. Despite this, some kind of view should be achievable from most places. Even living in Dublin, when I managed to get outside the immediate glare of the streetlights to stand in a green or our darkened back garden, stars, satellites and full-moons could be appreciated well.
It measures from Class 1, which are the darkest skies available on Earth, to Class 9, which would be inner city skies”
However, as mentioned, the remoter the space, the better a chance you’ll have of seeing the sky clearly and what it contains. An upstairs window, balcony, back garden or local park are likely to be the best options for city-dwellers, while those living in the countryside will have an easier time of it away from the light pollution of the cities and towns.
Wherever you decide to set yourself up, look up the location’s ‘Bortle class’. Named after its creator, John Bortle, the Bortle Scale is a measure of a sky’s darkness. It measures from Class 1, which are the darkest skies available on Earth, to Class 9, which would be inner city skies.
Clearoutside.com allows you to google your location’s Bortle class, which will help you to figure out what kind of objects you should be able to spot.
Figure out orientation
Learn where north, south, east and west are from your chosen vantage point. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, which is one of the best ways to figure it out using your eyes alone.
Just like the sun, the planets rise in the east and set in the west, the Moon doing the same, although its position will shift north or south depending on where you live and the time of year.
There are also shortcuts that help estimate positions in the night sky. Sky positions are usually measured in degrees, with 0 degrees being the horizon and 90 degrees being directly overhead. The width of your outstretched fist held at arm’s length usually covers about 10 degrees of sky, meaning that if Mars is reported to be 20 degrees from the Moon, you’ll know that means two outstretched fists.
Learning the stars and constellations for your patch of sky is useful, too, since the position of less-fixed objects like planets, satellites and other objects will often be described in relation to these. Planets are very interesting, and great trivia, to be able to point out to children and whoever else you may be with, and they’re not that hard to learn to identify. They’re brighter than most stars, even in major cities.
Equipment
It’s usually thought that you need a telescope to be able to perceive things clearly, but this isn’t so. These days, the most useful piece of equipment is, funnily enough, a good app, which can tell you what is visible from your location on a given night and where to look. There are plenty to choose from, the best being updated regularly by their developers. Websites like timeanddate.com and stellarium-web.org are useful in this regard.
Binoculars are another useful acquisition for those interested in perusing the night sky, mainly because they can really enhance the experience while being cheap and readily available. Through binoculars, the Moon’s craters, Jupiter’s moons and Mars’ red glow can be seen. Dim and distant Neptune and Uranus can also be seen at a push, which is great as these usually aren’t visible to the naked eye.
In keeping with the Season of Creation, the night sky and the visible splendour of the universe are there to be enjoyed”
A telescope however, will open up new horizons for you, enabling you to see features like Jupiter’s stripes and Saturn’s rings. Beginners should start with small, entry level telescopes, which are usually easy to transport and use. After some use, you should be in a better position to research and buy more sophisticated equipment, if you feel like so doing.
In keeping with the Season of Creation, the night sky and the visible splendour of the universe are there to be enjoyed. It’s what I plan on doing with some of the upcoming autumn and winter nights!