Shropshire residents invited to join star count
Amateur astronomers across Shropshire are being invited to join in a national count of stars later this month.
The countryside charity CPRE is running its annual Star Count from February 17-24 to help it measure light pollution.
A spokesman for Shropshire Astronomical Society (SAS) said: "Try to pick a clear night, with no haze or clouds, then wait until after 19:00 GMT so the sky is really dark.
"Looking south into the night sky, find the Orion constellation, with its four corners and three-star-belt.
"Let your eyes adjust to the darkness for as long as possible - at least 20 mins - then count the stars that you can see within the four corners of Orion.
"Make a note of the number of stars seen with the naked eye and submit your count on CPRE website when the results page opens."
The SAS will be holding an observation night at Little Ness Village Hall from 8pm on February 11.
And on February 18 there is set to be a society meeting at Rodington Village Hall at 8pm.
This month they will be welcoming Dr Warren Skidmore as guest speaker to discuss ‘The Thirty Metre Telescope’, from California, via Zoom.
The Shropshire Astronomical Society is a county-wide group, run by volunteers for anyone interested in astronomy, star-gazing or space exploration.
It meets once a month for observing sessions at Rodington and Little Ness Village Halls. Members also meet periodically at various venues for special events and outreach work throughout Shropshire.
For more details on the stargazing SAS visit shropshire-astro.uk
And to sign up for CPRE's Star Count visit takeaction.cpre.org.uk/page/118799/-/1
