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Visit Bowlees Bowlees Visitor Centre is the gateway to the North Pennines AONB & UNESCO Global Geopark

Volunteer with us at the Bowlees Visitor Centre on Wednesday 27 November, 10am to 1pm, for a session sowing seeds collec...
07/11/2024

Volunteer with us at the Bowlees Visitor Centre on Wednesday 27 November, 10am to 1pm, for a session sowing seeds collected from local provenance trees such as juniper and alder.

The seeds will be grown on at Bowlees Tree & Wildflower Nursery before being planted out as part of the Tees-Swale: naturally connected programme.
For more information - https://northpennines.org.uk/event/volunteer-opportunity-tree-seed-sowing/

Fireworks are not the only thing lighting up the sky. Look east mid-evening evening and you’ll see a dazzling star on th...
03/11/2024

Fireworks are not the only thing lighting up the sky. Look east mid-evening evening and you’ll see a dazzling star on the rise, much brighter than any other in the night-time sky.

This is not a star at all, but majestic Jupiter. It’s the biggest planet in the solar system and well on its way to a closest approach to the Earth in early December. Tonight, it will be just under 400 million miles away from the Earth. In the early hours of the morning, it climbs to its highest point in the last ten years – perfect for the best views.

Use binoculars and you will see up four moons orbiting this huge 89,000-mile diameter world. With a telescope you can make out bands of weather with subtle colours. If you are a real night owl glance back to the east to spot Mars, it rises just after 9pm. It’s looking very red.
www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

Our dark skies in the are stunning – but they are also fragile. Many areas of the UK suffer from serious light polluti...
02/11/2024

Our dark skies in the are stunning – but they are also fragile. Many areas of the UK suffer from serious light pollution and that’s more than just a problem for stargazers.
Wildlife also suffers, especially creatures like bats, hedgehogs, marine life and birds. Moths are one of the big losers, being lured and trapped by bright lights. They are key night-time pollinators so that’s not good news.

You can really help preserve the nocturnal environment by following a few simple good lighting habits.

www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

Can you use your mobile phone to take pictures of the ? Yes you can. Handheld devices now have excellent cameras. If yo...
01/11/2024

Can you use your mobile phone to take pictures of the ? Yes you can. Handheld devices now have excellent cameras.
If you have a telescope the easiest first target is the Moon. Hold your phone over the eyepiece and with a bit of practice you can take an image like the one attached. How about the Milky Way? Yes, that too, but you will need to expose for longer. Try 15 seconds if it’s a moonless night. You’ll need to put the phone on a simple tripod or prop it up somehow to prevent vibrations.

Don’t forget the Northern Lights – a 10 second exposure is enough to capture the magic. Once you have taken your image use the phone’s image enhancement app to play with the options and bring out the detail.

www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

Moon image © Richard Darn
Milky Way image © Ian Dunbar
Northern Lights image © Chris Higgins

Like a spooky tale? Then you'll love some of the stories behind the constellations. Above our heads there's a fierce dra...
31/10/2024

Like a spooky tale? Then you'll love some of the stories behind the constellations. Above our heads there's a fierce dragon, the Medusa, who had snakes for hair and could turn people to stone, a serpent, unicorn and even a magical flying horse.
Not to be outdone the Vikings, who settled in the reckoned the Northern Lights were reflections from the armour of the Valkyries, maidens escorting fallen warriors to Valhalla.
Makes Halloween look a bit tame.

www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

Are you getting the stargazing bug and fancy buying some equipment? Try binoculars first. The best sizes are 10 X 50 or ...
30/10/2024

Are you getting the stargazing bug and fancy buying some equipment? Try binoculars first. The best sizes are 10 X 50 or 7 x 50 and you can get a good quality pair for about £85.
You'll be amazed what you can see under our dark skies. Distant galaxies, sparkling star clusters, lunar craters, and even comets when they appear in the sky. And of course they are equally good at wildlife spotting during the day.

If you don’t mind spending a bit more, models which have so called “ED” optics are renowned for their sharpness.
For more advice and suggestions check out the equipment blog of one of our festival astronomers. If your heart is set on a telescope you'll find more about them too. https://darkskiesuk.org/blog-thoughts/

Struggling to make out the constellations? Why not start by finding the brightest stars first? At about 8pm face south a...
29/10/2024

Struggling to make out the constellations? Why not start by finding the brightest stars first? At about 8pm face south and look high to the sky above your head.

Pick out the most brilliant star. That's Vega which has a blue/white tint to it. To its left is another star, but not quite as sparkling, known as Deneb.

Both objects are suns, but so far away they look like specks in the sky. If you look a bit lower down, there’s another bright star called Altair. Together they make the famed Summer Triangle.

If you see them all give yourself a pat on the back. Use a free planetarium app on your phone to help you.
www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

During we’ll (hopefully) see lots more stars. In fact, we are home to the darkest mainland National Landscape in the U...
27/10/2024

During we’ll (hopefully) see lots more stars. In fact, we are home to the darkest mainland National Landscape in the UK.

That also means we get a grandstand view of the Milky Way. This river of light arcs across the sky during mid-evening and is best seen directly overhead. Got some binoculars? Have a look and you'll see the light is caused by millions of faint stars – part of our spiral galaxy.
To travel from one end of the Milky Way to the other using our existing rockets would take you about 500 million years. Remember, before you spy this wonder, let your eyes adjust to the darkness. www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

© Gary Lintern Photography

Search for fantastic fungi this October half term at Bowlees Visitor Centre on a Wild Wednesday guided walk, 30 October,...
26/10/2024

Search for fantastic fungi this October half term at Bowlees Visitor Centre on a Wild Wednesday guided walk, 30 October, 10.30am to 12.30pm.

You will learn how to identify different species of mushrooms and about the magic of the 'Wood Wide Web'.
Find out more and book here: https://bit.ly/3Y5fantasticfungi

In we see way more shooting stars/meteor showers than from a light polluted city or town. Luckily, we have one of the ...
26/10/2024

In we see way more shooting stars/meteor showers than from a light polluted city or town. Luckily, we have one of the best meteor showers.

The Orionids are caused by tiny bits of debris from the famous Halley’s Comet burning up in our atmosphere, which can be seen up until 7 November.

Wrap up warm, get out the deck chair and gaze high to the south east with your eyes/ binoculars. The later in the evening the better. If you get addicted another famous shower, the Leonids, peaks on 17 November. www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

It’s time to wrap up warm and gaze to the skies as we kick off with a quest to spot Saturn. The amazing ringed world i...
25/10/2024

It’s time to wrap up warm and gaze to the skies as we kick off with a quest to spot Saturn. The amazing ringed world is at its best in nearly a decade, shining like a bright yellow star 30 degrees above the southern horizon at 10pm.

To see those amazing rings – which stretch for 130,000 miles - you are going to need a telescope. A small one will do – just bump up the magnification to over 35x.

Or better still come along to one of the fabulous stargazing sessions in the North Pennines Stargazing Festival (25 October to 3 November). Very big telescopes are being pointed skywards and we can promise, weather permitting, you that the views will be spectacular. www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

Farming and nature talk: trees in the farmed landscape, 6 November at The Moorcock Inn in Eggleston, 7.30pm to 9pm, is o...
24/10/2024

Farming and nature talk: trees in the farmed landscape, 6 November at The Moorcock Inn in Eggleston, 7.30pm to 9pm, is open to farmers and landowners as well as members of the public.

Guest speaker Pete Leeson will cover the many aspects of working with people at all scales to bring trees back into the landscape where they can help us with farming, water management, biodiversity and adaptation to climate change.

Find out more and book: https://bit.ly/FarmingNature

Please note Bowlees Visitor Centre and café will be closed on Thursday 24 October between 12.30pm and 1.15pm.
23/10/2024

Please note Bowlees Visitor Centre and café will be closed on Thursday 24 October between 12.30pm and 1.15pm.

Enjoy a tour of the Universe, scour the skies for other jewels in the cosmos with lead astronomer Gary Fildes at Grassho...
22/10/2024

Enjoy a tour of the Universe, scour the skies for other jewels in the cosmos with lead astronomer Gary Fildes at Grassholme Observatory as part of . 25 October to 3 November.

With no Moon in the sky, you will look out for the Milky Way, and many deep sky objects like galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. Get the chance to use the robotic telescope to scour the skies for other jewels in the cosmos.
For more information and to book - https://bit.ly/Grassholme

www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org

Family fun astronomy events as part of the .Experience Star Camp for a weekend of all things astronomical and beyond. 2...
19/10/2024

Family fun astronomy events as part of the .

Experience Star Camp for a weekend of all things astronomical and beyond. 25 to 27 October in Teesdale. More information - https://bit.ly/3zV9StarCamp

Family friendly star gazing festival activity evening - Stars, stories and nature discoveries, 28 October. More information - https://bit.ly/StarFestBirkHatt

A creative introduction to astronomy for the family at the North Pennines Observatory, 29 October, bringing together art and science to explore the constellations and our near planets as viewed from the North Pennines.
To book - https://bit.ly/Familyastronomy

Do you have an idea for a project focused around the mining heritage of the North Pennines? As part of the Land of Lead ...
17/10/2024

Do you have an idea for a project focused around the mining heritage of the North Pennines? As part of the Land of Lead and Silver project, there is a budget for community grants and we still have some funding available for this year.

Individuals, groups or organisations can apply - the project must involve the community and have a lead or silver mining theme. Three organisations have received funding this year:
Pennines Playwrights who are writing a community play set during the 1849 Allenheads lead miners’ strike.

The Weardale Museum has a project to expand their premises and interpretation.
Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services who are delivering a programme to engage communities with the history of lead mining.

Find out more and how to apply: https://northpennines.org.uk/community-grants-land-lead.../
The Land of Lead and Silver project is led by the North Pennines National Landscape team and funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.

Bowlees Visitor Centre and café is now open.
17/10/2024

Bowlees Visitor Centre and café is now open.

Please note that Bowlees Visitor Centre and café is closed temporarily this morning.
17/10/2024

Please note that Bowlees Visitor Centre and café is closed temporarily this morning.

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Sunday 10:00 - 16:00

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