Counting Stars

Every year the countryside charity, CPRE invites everyone to help them measure light pollution by taking part in a “Star Count.” The best way to see how many stars we can all see in the sky is… to count them! CPRE asks people from across the whole country, rural or urban, to become “citizen scientists” one night, and look at the sky to count the stars visible within the constellation of Orion.

This year we’re invited to take part from home: you can stargaze from your garden, balcony, doorstep or even bedroom window.

To join in, choose a clear night between now and 14 February, look up at the constellation of Orion and let CPRE know how many stars you can spot. There’s more information on the project here, including easy instructions on how to take part. Once you’ve completed your star-spotting, use this form to quickly and easily send your results to CPRE – and they’ll get busy number-crunching.