BEACONS BRECON South Wales

watch a more perfect place to

YOU will struggle to find

with its own has a holiday cottage the stars. The area even

Stargazer’s Retreat. observatory called The the ruins

a telescope are Usk Reservoir,

The best spots to set up of Llanthony Priory, Carreg

national Cennen Castle and the park visitor centre.

This month, the Brecon

two Beacons enjoyed just over hours of perfect stargazing conditions each night.

need to Chris said: “You might

should stay up late, but parents definitely consider including their children when they go stargazing.

“I got to see a couple of spectacular meteor showers when I was growing up and it got me hooked on

astronomy.”

FOR centuries, humans have been fascinated by shooting stars and the astronomical wonders have inspired many omens, both good and bad.

Some have linked their appearance to the souls of babies arriving on Earth while others have seen them as warnings of war.

But these days, people tend to wish on a shooting star – even though they are not actually stars but high-speed meteors burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Shooting stars are relatively rare, but meteor showers take place every year and can be visible from anywhere – including from your own back garden. But how many of us have been lucky enough to actually see a shooting star?

To increase your chances, you’ll need to do a bit of planning and ideally find a clear, dark place with little artificial light or buildings to block your view.

The start of lockdown last year created ideal stargazing conditions because the reduction of air pollution meant the skies were the clearest they had been for years.

Astronomer and The Sky at Night presenter Chris Lintott said: “Everyone should spend some time under the night sky. Meteor showers are lots of fun to watch. But remember to wrap up warm – and I’d

recommend bringing a hot flask of coffee or maybe something stronger, too.

“Exmoor and Kielder in Northumberland are among my favourite spots to see them and there are a number of great places in Scotland, too.”

A recent study by motorhome rental company Camptoo looked at the best places to see shooting stars in the UK.

Here, we list the top locations ahead of the next major meteor shower Draconid, which will reach its peak on October 8 and 9.

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