The equinox on 23rd September marks the start of autumn and when day and night are the same length across the planet. Although many can feel a bit sad as summer comes to an end it does mean it’s the start of the stargazing season and a chance to see more of the wonderful dark skies of the North Wessex Downs.

The new moon on 25th September will mean a darker sky and on the 26th Jupiter will be brighter than any other time of the year and visible all night long. You can find out what else is going on in the night sky by looking at the Sky at a Glance pages on skyandtelescope.org

Great Big Green Week in Marlborough
By reducing light pollution and carbon emissions we can help keep our dark skies dark in the North Wessex Downs. The Great Big Green week in Marlborough at the end of September includes stargazing at the unique historic Blackett observatory (Stargazing at the Blackett Observatory | Facebook) and night tower tours at St Peter’s church (Night Tower Tour at St Peter’s | Facebook)

October Events
If you are keen to get started with astronomy, how about this free online event:
Stargazing for Beginners, Sun 2 Oct 2022 at 16:00 | Eventbrite
There are lots of ways to spark a passion for dark skies locally in the North Wessex Downs. Why not take the kids on a lovely night walk run by the National Trust at the Avebury stone circle and learn about the stars on the 30th October.
Darks skies stone circle walk | National Trust

November Events
It’s incredible to think that the dark skies we look at today in the North Wessex Downs are the same ones seen by the ancient people who lived and worked here, except for less light pollution! Find out about the mythology and stories of the stars, at Uffington White Horse hill stargazing walks. They take place at this perfect location in November, December and January.
White Horse Hill Evening Stargazing Walk Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
If you are near Marlborough on the 19th November, why not pop along to an open evening with the very welcoming Friends of the Marlborough Telescope at the incredible Blackett observatory.
Diary of Events – Blackett Observatory

For more information about dark skies, why there important and what you can do to help protect them go to our dark skies pages on our website.