The Forest of Bowland have 4 Dark Sky Discovery Sites on our doorstep is Gisbrun Forest Hub and close by are Beacon Fell Country Park, Crook O'Lune Picnic Site, and Slaidburn village. For further information visit: the dark sky discovery sites map

The Forest of Bowland is a stargazer's paradise - one of England's darkest areas making it a great destination both by day and night.

The Milky Way arches majestically across the sky on clear autumn evenings and star clusters sparkle like diamonds on black velvet. It is a breath taking scene that adds so much to the unspoilt character of the area and provides the stuff of holiday memories.

Events The AONB has been working alongside local, amateur astronomer Robert Ince who is running several events in Bowland throughout the year. Have a look at the events page and book directly there: www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/robert-ince-7214874047

A series of timelapses and images of the sky above the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, produced by amatuer astroner Robert Ince.

Spring

A great time to view brighter galaxies and planets like Jupiter and Saturn are also well placed. Nights are still long and the weather is warming up so it's a great time to observe. The constellation of Leo dominates the southern sky.

Summer

You will see fewer stars around mid-summer, but watch out for ghostly noctilucent clouds high in the sky. You will also see tantalising glimpses of the Milky Way to whet appetites for the months ahead. Watch out for August's Perseid meteor shower – one of the year's best. Truly dark skies return at the end of July.

Autumn

Together with the spring this is a prime viewing time. Nights are properly dark and the Milky Way is overhead in the evening, resembling a shimmering river of stars. Star clusters Stocks Reservoiralso look fantastic. Meteors showers like the Leonids can put on a good show in November.

Winter

The season of sparkling skies! The sky is often at its most transparent as temperatures dip. Glittering star clusters and magnificent constellations like Orion grace the sky, along with bright nebula. Wrap up warm and the rewards can be amazing.

Apps

There are many astro apps for iPhones, other smartphones and tablets running Android and Windows. They can help you understand the night sky and keep up with events.

Here's a selection:

Sky Week – regularly updated digest of what's in the sky - www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance

Pocket Universe – plenty of features and star maps - http://pocketuniverse.info

Google Skymap – identifies the stars using GPS when you hold up the phone to the sky

Meteor Shower Calendar – tells you which showers are due and whether the moon will spoil the show

ISS Detector and ISS Spotter – both will alert you when the ISS is due to pass overhead - Detector and Spotter

Aurora Alert – predicts possible Northern Lights displays