On Saturday 22^nd February, members of Caradon Observatory gave a fantastic talk about our Dark Skies at Siblyback Lake.

The event was organised as part of the CPRE (Council for the Protection of Rural England) Star Count Event, but cloud cover made it impossible to do any actual star counting. However, with the help of the ‘Magic Planet’, a globe that projects real images onto its surface, Caradon Observatory were able to give a captivating talk on our solar system and beyond. This included the importance of Dark Skies, the composition of our planets and how we can tell if a planet is orbiting one of the millions of stars out there.

This was the first event in Siblyback’s newly converted Clubroom, which can seat around 60 people.

Countryside Warden Nigel Tomkinson, said, “Siblyback Lake is ideal for stargazing due to its location on the edge of Bodmin Moor, which has been designated as an International Dark Sky Landscape. It was unfortunate that we were not able to get the telescopes out, but this did mean we got a brilliant talk from Caradon Observatory utilising the Magic Planet along with some really excellent photos taken from the Observatory.

“Over the past few years we have run several events with Caradon Observatory at Siblyback and I am always impressed with their ability to bring our Dark Skies to life and to create a real hunger to learn more – I can’t thank them enough.”

Caradon Observatory are now planning another Outreach Star Gazing Event in March, when they will bring their telescopes and expertise back to Siblyback. From 18 May, you will be able to enjoy a night under the stars with the return of camping at the lake. Fingers crossed for good weather and clear skies!