Brecon Beacons ranked among best UK locations for stargazing

The national park in South Wales was the seventh highest-ranking location in a list created by travel experts at Saga Holidays to help budding astronomers find the clearest views of the night sky.

The experts looked at the levels of light pollution and average annual cloud cover to decide which spots were the best in the country.

The Brecon Beacons, which became the fifth location in the world to receive a dark sky status in 2012, has an annual average cloud cover of 67 per cent.

Several sites across the park also have a designated Dark Sky Discovery status making them ideal for stargazing.

These include Penbryn Beach, Llyn Brianne Reservoir, Usk Reservoir, and Cwmdu.

The national park was ranked seventh on the list, behind South Downs National Park, Cranborne Chase, North Yorkshire Moors, Northumberland National Park, Yorkshire Dales, and Exmoor National Park.

Dr Sheona Urquhart, a lecturer in astrophysics, said: “There are a number of factors to consider when it comes to the best locations for stargazing.

“The obvious one would be darkness – the darker the better really.

“Altitude also helps as you can get above the clouds to see the clearest views.

“You also don’t need fancy equipment, you’d be amazed at what you can see with a decent set of binoculars, or even with your naked eye on clear nights.

“These dark sky areas allow everyone, from the professional to the amateur to get out there, see the wonders of the night sky with their own eyes.”

This comes as stargazing is now more popular than ever, with images of the Northern Lights regularly flooding social media causing many of us to stand outside at night hoping to catch a glimpse of something ourselves.

According to Saga, astro-tourism is set to be a major travel trend in 2025, with UK Google Searches for stargazing rising by 74 per cent throughout 2024.

Saga itself has seen a two-thirds year-on-year increase in bookings for special interest holidays, from bird watching on the Costa Blanca to astronomy in Tenerife.

There are several astronomical events to look forward to over the coming months.

These include the Leonids meteor shower, which is active between November 6 and 30 and will peak on November 16 and 17.

During the peak, around 15 meteors per hour can be seen in the night sky.

The Geminids meteor shower is active between December 4 and 20, and peaks on December 13 and 14.

During the peak, around 150 meteors per hour can be seen in the night sky.

The Geminids meteor shower is one of the most reliable showers due to its size.

They also tend to be a bright yellow helping to distinguish them from other stars.

Their radiant in the sky is the constellation Gemini, the ‘twins’, which gives it its name.

The Ursids meteor shower will be active between December 17 and 26 and peak on December 21 and 22.

During its peak around 10 meteors per hour can be seen in the night sky.

Unlike the others, this shower is considered minor in appearance and size.

Their radiant is the constellation Ursa Minor (known as the ‘little dipper’) and they can be seen to emit away from it in the sky in small streaks of light.