Category Archives: Stars

Inner City Kids

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Right, my mission for 2020 is to get as many Inner City Kids as I can to experience the wilds of Exmoor.

We have had several groups of Inner City dwelling kids at the centre over the years and it always amazes me how much they have missed out on. We have had 15year olds who have never been on a rope swing, 13year olds who have never seen a cow or chicken, most have never experienced a proper night sky. Night skies are a bit of the thing here, on cloudless nights you can see the Milky Way and on cloudy nights you can’t see anything, you won’t believe how dark a night can be with no light pollution, it terrifies some people.

Our little bunkhouse has 14 bunks and camping space outside for many more to stay. If you work with kids you get in touch, we work with several other groups who could help you bring kids here to experience the wonders of Exmoors Dark Skies.

The Plough and campfire spark trails over The Exmoor Centre

The Plough and campfire spark trails over The Exmoor Centre

The Milky Way over The Exmoor Centre

The Milky Way over The Exmoor Centre

Winter at The Exmoor Centre

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Winter has officially started on Exmoor, we have had the first frosts and now the first snow of the season. We love the winter here, some of the best nights we have stayed out at the centre have been in the winter months, sledging and snowball fights, cold clear nights around the campfire stargazing and counting Satellites as they stream across the sky.

Winter campfires are just the best. These pics were taken a couple of weeks ago as we practiced our light sabre skills, A smoky campfire and a couple of cheap LED torches gives you hours of fun!

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We have plenty of availability over the winter this year, escape the relentless Brexit and Election nonsense and come and play around the campfire at The Exmoor Centre. Email us for details.

Dark Sky

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As there was nobody booked in at the centre this weekend we took the opportunity to nip out ourselves. With very little moonlight this weekend the night skies were amazing. Here are a few photographs showing the Milky Way and The Plough in all their glory, these were taken without a remote shutter release and on a wobbly tripod so they aren’t professional standard but they do give you an idea of what you can expect to see at The Exmoor Centre on a clear night.

 

Cooling off in the river

Stargazing

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There is hardly a better place in Europe to stargaze than at The Exmoor Centre, we are within the Exmoor Dark Skies reserve and on clear nights the night sky is staggering. The photo above was taken in early August 2012, using a slow shutter speed of several minutes star trails form around the Pole Star, the big beech tree is lit up purely from candlelight in the bunkhouse!

You simply won’t believe how busy the night sky is, satellites race overhead, lapping the world at a staggering rate. When we took the photo above we could often see four satellites at a time passing over. Even though we were a week or so earlier than the peak of the Perseid meteor shower we were seeing shooting stars regularly that night.

For more information on Exmoor’s Dark Sky Reserve status look here:

http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/environment/landscape/dark-skies

http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/stargazing