“Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed or upset by something, staring out into the cosmos reminds me how inconsequential my problems really are compared with the vastness of infinite space,” Megan Eaves, former Lonely Planet editor and avid London stargazer says. When she needs space, she heads to the top of Blythe Hill Fields to consider the constellations inked into the dark sky above her and zone out from the realities of earthly existence.
We could all do with a little distance — it’s safe to say our problems have been racking up over the last few months. As well as a global pandemic, the UK has plunged into its deepest recession on record and more than 730,000 people have lost their jobs since Covid-19 hit British shores in March. It’s no wonder we’re turning to stargazing as a form of escapism.
“There’s been an obvious increase in everyone’s desire to be surrounded by nature, and stargazing was one of the few safe options for getting outside during all of this,” Eaves offers. “I think they started immediately feeling the emotional and somatic benefits — it’s like meditating, a very calming and emotionally balancing activity.”
Lucie Green, UCL physics professor and chief stargazer at the Society of Popular Astronomy, agrees, adding that stargazing was a way to “counter the feeling of claustrophobia” at the beginning of lockdown. “We have started to look up again,” Green continues. “What’s great is that you don’t even need any specialist kit to stargaze. Venus was blazing in our evening sky at the start of the lockdown and you can look at the constellations and the Moon just using the unaided eye.”
Philip Jennings, editor of the Journal of the British Astronomical Association, says because stargazing is a hobby you can do from home without the need for expensive equipment, he has seen a rise in interest from the general public.
“I think the arrival of Comet Neowise a couple of weeks ago — it was the brightest comet, probably the best comet in 23 years — that really caught people’s imaginations, “ Jennings adds. “The chance to see a comet that won’t return to the inner solar system for 6,700 years. For that to appear in the middle of lockdown, it was a form of escapism for people as well.”
It also helps that skies have been largely clear over the past five months, and while many credit this to less light and air pollution, Jennings tells me that the exceptionally clear days we saw back in April and May were purely a coincidence. “Lockdown, I think, has been an opportunity to stop and take a break from normal life and just appreciate astronomy and the universe around us.”
Still, living in London doesn’t conjure dreamy visions of gazing at the stars. London is one of the most light-polluted cities in the world — not to mention increasingly polluted. Still, for the starry-eyed among us, this doesn’t mean stargazing is off-limits.
Eaves, who is also a delegate at the International Dark-Sky Association and writing a book on the matter, heads to her local park, Blythe Hill Fields, to catch a glimpse of constellations on clear nights: “You need to be somewhere with an open horizon and hopefully not too much glare from street lights and buildings. Luckily London has so many amazing parks and green spaces, so I always recommend choosing your nearest hilltop park.
In south London, you've got the advantage because most celestial objects like planets and bright stars lie towards the southern horizon.
“Face away from central London where the worst light pollution is centred. If you are lucky enough to be in south London, then you’ve got an advantage because most of the celestial objects like planets and bright stars lie towards the southern horizon.”
If you’d rather huddle in a park with others, pre-pandemic The Baker Street Irregular Astronomers would meet once a month in Regent’s Park to gaze at the stars, sometimes with up to 100 other keen watchers. And while meetings are currently on hold, Eric Emms, the co-organiser of the group, hopes they will resume in the new year.
“I love showing other people what you can see in central London, there’s that childlike interest in the cosmos that people share,” Emms adds. For now, amateur astronomers can join the Baker Street Facebook group or sign up to its newsletter to be buzzed about all the latest sightings.
London's top stargazing spots
Regent’s Park Hub, NW1
Despite its central location, Regent’s Park is often used for public stargazing events by the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers.
Blythe Hill Fields, SE6
Find a quiet spot among the patches of high ground at Blythe Hill Fields and face southwards for the best views.
Royal Observatory Greenwich, SE10
Resuming its stargazing sessions from October, peek through an 18-tonne Victorian telescope at the Royal Observatory.
Nonsuch Park, SM3
Just past Morden, head deep into Nonsuch Park to block out any light pollution.
Morden Hall Park, SM4
Covering 50 hectares of open land in south-west London, make a beeline to the meadow at Morden Hall Park to escape from the city’s light glare.
For beginners, the British astronomer and host of podcast Pocket Astronomer, Mark Thompson, says your best bet is to head out on a clear night with no moon. “You will need to give your eyes time to adjust to seeing in the dark. Give them a good few minutes and the iris will open up to its fullest and you will see more,” Thompson advises.
“Look out for steady moving stars across the sky. They are more than likely satellites — aeroplanes flash, satellites don’t — or maybe even the International Space Station. You can also spot planets easily with the naked eye. You might also be able to spot the odd shooting star whizzing across the sky.”
August is a particularly good month to stargaze, Thompson adds. Not only are night-time temperatures bearable, but this month we’re seeing the Perseid meteor shower. While the main event was hidden by clouds last week, the meteors come from Comet Swift-Tuttle, and will be able to be seen for most of the month.
Stargazing, as Eaves points out, is also a way to look back in time and reflect on the past, a comforting thought. “The light that we see from any star tonight has likely travelled for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years to reach my eyes,” Eaves says.
“One of our nearest stellar neighbours, Sirius, is 8.5 light years away, meaning that the light you see from Sirius tonight left the star in 2011. When I look back on my life in 2011 and think about all that has happened since, who I’ve met, who I’ve loved, what I’ve learned and how far I’ve come, that gives me a great deal of hope for whatever’s next.”