Photo: King Alfred’s Tower by Paul Howell of Pictori Images
IT’S OFFICIAL! Shaftesbury has one of the best stargazing spots in the world on its doorstep.
The Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AoNB) has been recognised as an International Dark Sky Reserve, an area that restricts light pollution and promotes astronomy.
The AoNB has the largest central area of darkness of any International Dark Sky Reserve in the UK. It’s also the first AoNB in the country to receive the recognition, and only the 14th reserve across the globe to join an exclusive club of International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Protected Areas to gain international recognition for our dark skies.
“Some people are lucky enough to recognise ‘the Plough’, but for others, seeing stars and their constellations is often impossible because of light pollution. Here in Cranborne Chase we can see the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy, if the clouds allow!” said Linda Nunn, Director of Cranborne Chase AONB.