National Parks Virtual Dark Skies Festival 2021

Since 2016’s inaugural event, the North Yorkshire collaboration has become an unmissable fixture in the calendar, with the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authorities celebrating the jewels of the night sky. In 2021 we’ll also be marking our recent designations as International Dark Sky Reserves!

This year we’re hosting a Virtual Dark Skies Festival to showcase Yorkshire’s pristine night skies. Although you may not be able to venture into the National Park’s wildernesses in person, it’s a chance to open your eyes and look up towards the night sky while at home. We hope to capture your imagination and inspire a visit later in the year.

The astronomy programme organised alongside Go Stargazing includes a stellar line-up of top astronomers and scientists. Watch presentations, join interactive tours and check out live views of the moon. There’s many other ways to get involved too, from activities and quizzes to crafts and baking. This year’s theme explores Nature at Night, highlighting the importance of preserving dark skies to benefit our natural world. We’ve a couple of specialist speakers sharing their wisdom and knowledge. There’s also access to live wildlife cameras throughout the Festival giving you an insight into nocturnal activity of some incredible species.