Dark Skies and Stargazing in Mid Wales

Mid Wales has some of the darkest skies in Britain. On a clear, moonless night away from the towns you can see the Milky Way stretched overhead with your own eyes, along with thousands of stars that never show up in a city. Across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Eryri (Southern Snowdonia) there are three protected dark sky areas and long stretches of empty upland between them.

Where is the best place for stargazing in Mid Wales?

The Elan Valley, Powys. The Elan Valley Estate near Rhayader is an International Dark Sky Park, covering over 72 square miles of reservoirs, moorland and hills on the southern edge of the Cambrian Mountains. There are car parks along the reservoirs where you can set up away from any lights. See dark skies in the Elan Valley.

Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons). The whole National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve. Hay Bluff and the Gospel Pass in the east, and the open hills above Talybont and the Usk reservoirs, give wide views of the sky. See dark skies in Bannau Brycheiniog.

The Cambrian Mountains. Between Powys and Ceredigion, the Cambrian Mountains are one of the most thinly populated parts of England and Wales, with very little light on the ground. See dark skies in the Cambrian Mountains.

Southern Eryri. Eryri National Park is also an International Dark Sky Reserve, and the hills around Dolgellau, Cadair Idris and Bala get properly dark. See dark skies in Eryri.

When is the best time to go stargazing?

Autumn and winter. From October to February the nights are longest and darkest, and the sky is often clearest on cold, still nights after a front has passed. Plan around the moon: the week either side of a new moon gives the darkest skies. Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust, and use a red torch so you don't lose your night vision.

What can you see in autumn?

Early autumn evenings are the last good chance of the year to see the bright centre of the Milky Way low in the south-west after dark. The Andromeda Galaxy, the most distant thing you can see without a telescope, is high overhead on autumn nights. The Orionid meteor shower peaks around 21 October, and the Leonids around 17 November.

What can you see in winter?

Winter brings Orion, with its belt of three stars and the fuzzy patch of the Orion Nebula below it, along with the Pleiades cluster and the bright star Sirius low in the south. The Geminids, around 13 and 14 December, are usually the best meteor shower of the year, with shooting stars visible from mid evening. Wrap up well. Frosty nights on the hills are cold, so bring a flask, layers, a hat and something to sit on.

Guided stargazing

If you'd like help finding your way around the sky, Serydda runs stargazing experiences and night photography sessions near Tregaron in Ceredigion. Look out for dark sky events in our what's on listings.

Where to stay for stargazing

The best nights happen when you can step outside your door and look up. Browse dark skies accommodation, or book a place with a hot tub and watch the stars from the water. Cottages in the Elan Valley, the Cambrian Mountains and the quieter corners of Bannau Brycheiniog have very little light around them: Clyn Cottages sits in the Elan Valley itself, and Graig Fawr Wildastay is a barn for two on conservation farmland in the Cambrian Mountains near Beulah. See also autumn in Mid Wales.