IT'S THE WEEKEND: Great Outdoors - The best places to enjoy some stargazing

ON A clear night in the Brecon Beacons, you can see the Milky Way, major constellations, bright nebulas and even meteor showers.

The national park, which includes parts of Monmouthshire, has some of the highest quality dark skies in the whole of the UK, making it the perfect destination for stargazers.

Among the top dark places to star gaze in the Brecon Beacons in Monmouthshire are at Llanthony Priory, near Abergavenny and the Sugar Loaf Mountain, Abergavenny.

In 2012 the Brecon Beacons Park Society became the fifth destination in the world and the first in Wales to be accredited with Dark Sky Reserve status, for its outstanding quality of night sky.

The award is given by the International Dark Sky Association which aims to preserve and protect the night-time environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting.

The skies above the national park and surrounding areas are barely touched by light pollution making it ideal for stargazing.

Among the many astronomical societies in the Gwent area is the Usk Astronomical Society, which formed 40 years ago.

The society, which unveiled the first observatory in Britain three years ago, said it was the first in Monmouthshire that is accessible to the public and opens to groups such as the WI, scouts, schools and adult organisations to enable them to study the sky from the ground as part of its outreach programme.

The society’s life president, David Thomas, said the observatory, which is located within the grounds of Usk Community education centre on Maryport Street, is a fantastic research tool that enables members to look at the stars, and analyse what they are made of and continue their investigations.”

“We can take stunning pictures of the night sky such as Saturn and the Moon,” said Mr Thomas, 69.

The Alfred Russel Wallace Observatory was named after the Welsh scientist who was born in nearby Llanbadoc.

The observatory is a dome that houses an eight inch Smitt-Cassigrain telescope and a webcam, which is removed when not being used by the society’s members.

To find out more about the society visit www.uskastronomicalsociety.org.uk What you can see this winter Mr Thomas, a retired science teacher who joined the society more than 30 years ago, said: “There is so much to see.”

He believes anyone can discover stars and planets in the solar system without the need to buy expensive equipment.

“It is best to decide what you are interested in first and get in touch with your local astronomical society and get advice from members.”

“Get a planisphere (a star chart) and borrow a pair of binoculars if you don’t have them and just look at the night sky.”

“Look at the moon when it’s lit up from one side when the sun has gone down. This means you can see all the mountains, craters and definitions.”

“As soon as you wander off you will see the Pleiades or Seven Sisters – a cluster of stars, best at around 10pm.

“It’s an area where new stars are going through a cloud of dust in space and lighting up the dust.”

“On a clear night from your garden you can see the seven stars of the Plough lying to the north mid evening.

“If you look around the horizon you will see it. In Wales it is known as the Saucepan.”

The Plough isn’t a constellation, but part of a constellation called Ursa Major, Latin for great bear. It is the most easily recognised group of stars in the northern sky and is a useful ‘skymark.’ The Plough is always above the horizon and helps to find Polaris, otherwise known as the North Star.

To find it follow the line of the two ‘pointer’ stars in the Plough. It remains in the same place in the sky throughout the night, while other stars rotate around it. It has been used for navigation for centuries.

Mr Thomas said one of the most easily recognised constellations and for him, the most beautiful, is Orion The Hunter, with his belt.

You can use Orion’s belt to find other shapes by following the line of the belt.

“It is in a part of the sky where you can observe the birth, life and death of stars all in one region.

“In the winter sky you can see it at about 10pm in the east.”

Also look out for; The cross of Cygnus is high in the western sky. The “W” of Cassiopeia lies nearly overhead in the Milky Way.

The Milky Way appears as a faint band of light visible on clear dark nights. It is the combined light of an enormous number of stars that make up our galaxy.

The planet Mars, which is slightly orange in colour, can be seen in the evening to the south-west, close to the horizon and just after sunset.

The Brecon Beacons National Park’s top ten places to view the dark skies are: 1. Sugar Loaf Mountain, Abergavenny 2. Llanthony Priory, near Abergavenny.

3. Hay Bluff, near Abergavenny.

4. National Park Visitor Centre (Mountain Centre) in Libanus, Powys.

5. Craig-y-nos Country Park and Craig Y Nos Castle, Powys.

6. Usk Reservoir 7. Crai Reservoir 8. Pen Rhiw Ddu, near Llandeilo 9. Carreg Cennen, West Wales.

10. Llangorse Lake, near Brecon.

Stargazing evenings with an astronomer are organised by the Brecon Beacons National Park and show you the correct use of binoculars and navigation via star maps as well as how to set up a telescope.

The evenings take place on November 29 and December 13, 20 and 27.

The evening is outdoors and lasts for three hours.

The cost is £55. For further information go online and visit the web site www.gooddayout.co.uk