Every year when the clocks go back towards the end of October, it sends many people into a state of hibernation. As we lose daylight and the nights get darker, our body clocks become confused, and it is not uncommon to feel extremely lethargic with a lack of motivation. My escape from this looming seasonal feeling lies in the sky, where I see the dark nights as an opportunity to find solace in the stars.
In the Northern Hemisphere, we have winter in December as the earth’s axis of rotation tilts us away from the direct light of the sun’s rays. Along with this change in daylight, temperature changes occur too – these are both key factors for a successful night of astronomy as they contribute to crystal clear seeing conditions. The shortest day of the year in Scotland lies at around 7 hours in the capital city of Edinburgh. On a clear night, this gives ample observation time of 17 hours which is incredible for viewing astronomical events such as meteor showers, comets and aurora displays. All of these can be seen with the naked eye and require no specialist equipment. Either with university friends or with family, they are such great excuses to get wrapped up in your cosy winter gear with a big flask of hot chocolate and head out into the middle of nowhere to escape the busyness of the world. Take wee hand warmers to stuff into your boots, a red head torch to preserve your night vision and a nice big tarpaulin to lay on the frosty grass and watch as the constellations pass overhead.
Winter reveals some of the nicest constellations and nebulae to see with the naked eye. The Orion Nebula, Pleiades and The Andromeda Galaxy are great examples and can be found using printout star charts or apps such as ‘Sky View’ on your phone. If you have a wee pair of binoculars, these are an absolute gem to magnify objects further.
Stirling is honestly such a happy medium when you want to go stargazing. It is not too far from nature, and even in the city centre you can look up and see brighter planets such as Jupiter and Saturn when they are out. This has definitely given me peace of mind – as weird as that sounds. Knowing I can still see the sky through the city’s small amount of light pollution makes me feel at home. The Geminid meteor shower is coming up next month, so why not get yourselves out with flatmates to watch the show? As grumpy as they might be for getting them out in the cold to start with, I can assure you it is a memory that will last a lifetime.
You can read about seeing more of the night sky around Stirling here.
Featured Image Credit: Helena Cochrane
Film and Media student at the University of Stirling!
