Welsh valley among world’s top stargazing spots ahead of supermoon

The year’s closest and brightest supermoon is set to arrive on Wednesday, 5 November, with one of the best spots in the world to view it here in Wales.

The ‘Beaver Moon’ supermoon will be the closest the Moon has come to Earth since February 2019, at 221,818 miles away (usually around 238,855 miles).

A holiday company has weighted the most popular stargazing spots across the world, with Wales’ Elan Valley Estate ranked one of the best overall.

Inghams Walking rated over 122 locations based on reviews from other stargazers, and an overall Google search popularity, to give them each a weighted score.

Elan Valley Estate ranked 9th, the only stargazing spot in the UK to make the top 15, with a 4.7 star rating across Google reviews and AllTrails.

As a Dark Sky park, qualified based on “management, location, nighttime public access, resources, and night sky quality” by DarkSky.org, the Elan Valley Estate is the perfect place to see the supermoon away from the glow of fireworks.

The majority of official Dark Sky parks are located in the USA, and they are well represented within the global index rankings, with North Carolina’s Mayland Earth to Sky Park in joint third place and the UBarU Camp and Retreat Center in Texas ranking fifth.

However, Europe’s Dark Sky parks are also highlighted in the research, with the Elan Valley Estate, Greece’s Ainos National Park on Kefalonia ranking third, and De Borshplaat in the Netherlands ranking eighth.

Nestled in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains, Elan Valley’s Trust has gone to great care to protect the nighttime environment and raise awareness about the fragility of dark skies.

Before settling in for a night of stargazing, visitors can explore the rolling hills and incredible dams and bridges found here.

As Dark Sky parks take great effort to protect and conserve stargazing opportunities away from light pollution and distraction, Inghams also shared guidelines to use them responsibly, including:

1. Leave No Trace: The one rule to remember is to try and leave no trace when visiting natural trails or environments – this means taking everything you bring in back out with you, including food, wrappers, bottles, and other waste.

2. Stay On Designated Trails: To minimise soil erosion and damage to the environment surrounding trails, ensure you stick to established trails and paths – and avoid creating shortcuts or new trails.

3. Don’t Take Souvenirs From Your Walk: In order to maintain environments and ecosystems as much as possible, never take souvenirs such as plants, flowers, berries, shells, rocks, or animal parts. If you believe you’ve come across something of significance, leave it where you found it and report to the local authorities.

To read the full research revealing the best Dark Sky stargazing experiences around the world, visit the Inghams Walking site here.