"A tawny owl screeches nearby in the dark and her mate replies, hooting eerily from the forest below. A white dome floats in the gloaming above a plain black doorway outlined with red light, like a portal to another dimension. I'm in Grizedale Forest, far from any light-polluting cities, to visit the Lake District's first public observatory and planetarium, which opened in May."
"Its director, Gary Fildes, is a veteran in the field, having founded and led three UK observatories over two decades. The goal at Grizedale, he says, is to create an immersive, year-round astronomy and science destination that brings the beauty of the Lake District skies to visitors. The observatory's regular evenings form part of Cumbria's annual dark skies festival in late October and November. The festival offers owl- and bat-spotting walks and chances to swim or canoe after dark."
Grizedale Observatory opened in May in Grizedale Forest, situated far from light-polluting cities. The facility houses a planetarium showing immersive films and runs three-hour stargazing events, astrophotography sessions, and dark-sky astronomy nights on moonless evenings. Gary Fildes, director and long-time observatory founder, aims to build an immersive, year-round astronomy and science destination showcasing the Lake District skies. The observatory contributes to Cumbria's annual dark skies festival with owl- and bat-spotting walks and nocturnal swimming or canoeing opportunities. On-site Mission Control includes a café, hand-painted mural, inflatable alien and scale model rockets built by manager Ben Marshall. The centre hosts school groups and timed events such as Aurora Night, though cloud can impede viewing.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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