Wish Upon a Star in Sark
Take a trip to Sark and enjoy some of the most highly envied dark skies in the world
In January 2011 Sark of the Channel Islands gained the distinction of being awarded International Dark-Sky Association recognition for its exceptional quality of unpolluted darkness, and became the first functioning island community to gain this title.
What does it mean? Sark, although very tiny, has a thriving population of around 600 people. We have everything this modern world can offer except motor cars and all they entail.
This restriction means that our nights are truly dark, the planets of the Solar System easily distinguished, the stars a magnificent backdrop.
Air quality is unsullied, sunsets and dawns spectacular, the Milky Way a brilliant belt strung across the heavens.
You do not need to be an astronomer to appreciate dark skies; they inspire poets, artists and lovers. However, if you are in any way, shape or form interested in what lies beyond our home planet, Sark is a place you will appreciate – and it’s on your doorstep.
People who live under bright stars tend to take them for granted, a mere adjunct to all the other beauties of island life. However, the less fortunate can hardly believe how amazing and awe-inspiring an unpolluted night sky can be. Their first visit to Sark can be, quite literally, an eye-opener.
Nights on Sark are very quiet, very dark and utterly peaceful. There are no street lights, and the light pollution which plagues stargazers who live in towns and cities is absent, so on looking up into the night sky it seems you can see a million billion stars.
In summer the nights are warm with a velvety black sky. At the height of summer the night is only six hours long, so stargazers have a limited time to appreciate the glories above. However, wandering around Sark’s dark lanes in winter is a different experience, the pungent smell of wood fires replaces the sweet scent of honeysuckle.
Orion the Hunter strides across the sky, the Milky Way sprinkles lights across the island. If time and trajectory are known, it is easy to spot the International Space Station passing overhead. Meteors, with their distinctive long tails, seem to pass quite slowly and may be visible for a few seconds. For those prepared to wrap up warmly and stay up there is a treat in store as the Earth could be showered in fireballs seeming to emanate from the constellation of Leo in November. Named the Leonids, this meteor shower is a wonderful display of shooting stars. A rare exception was 3,000 an hour being observed in some parts of Europe in 2002; nature’s own firework show. The Perseids put on a similar show in August.