GREAT ESCAPE
I am an amateur astronomer and science writer living in Kendal, in the Lake District. This is a beautiful part of the world, but like many places in the UK, it has a serious light pollution problem. On a (rare) clear night, I can barely see much more than the Moon, a couple of bright planets and perhaps a few dozen stars. So when my partner Stella and I, and our cat Jess, go away on tour, we choose a campsite based somewhere remote and as far away as possible from light pollution. Several times a year, we leave the crowds behind and head north, to a Star Camp.
These are special events held by and for amateur astronomers who want to get away just to look at the stars for a few nights. Star Camps are usually at remote locations, as far from any light pollution as possible. Participants take telescopes, cameras and other equipment to use under a sky that is much darker than the one they usually observe at home.
During the day, there are lectures, presentations and workshops, and
