Breathtaking beaches, subtropical gardens and an astronomical paradise: How dark skies and local observatories add to the Isles of Scilly allure of the stars
- Saint Martin has a population of 120 and it has very little light pollution
- COSMOS – Community Observatory St. Martins – Opening in 2019
- Silly Dark Atmosphere Week was held in Saint Martins.
- Tamara Henson paused to watch the stars and ‘Sylvie Saturn’
The inaugural absurdly dark sky week was held on Saint Martin (pictured), the most populous island in the northernmost archipelago.
It is famous for its beautiful beaches, semi-tropical gardens and one of the royal family’s favorite vacation spots. Another reason to visit the Isles of Scilly is to explore the night sky.
The inaugural silly dark sky week was held on Saint Martins, the most populous island at the northernmost tip of the archipelago. And it’s all about COSMOS (Community Observatory of Saint Martin), which opened in 2019.
With only 120 inhabitants and little light pollution, locals and keen stargazers have carried telescopes here for years. The idea for the observatory began in 2016 when supporters got together and decided to make the sky more accessible.
One of the people behind the project is Mark Holmes, winner of the Sir Patrick Moore Prize from the British Astronomical Society after setting up a community observatory in Heilig, Cheshire. When Mark was vacationing in a cottage he rented from Val Thomas (now president of COSMOS), Val said he wanted to attract more visitors.
Mark suggested focusing on the dark sky she had drawn here, and the plan for the observatory was born. It opened in 2019 after three years of logistics minefield negotiations and planning meetings.
Saint Martin (above) has a population of only 120 and has very little light pollution. “Locals and throngs of enthusiastic stargazers have carried telescopes here for years,” Tamara says.
Behind the island’s community center, COSMOS consists of two domes with two high-powered telescopes, next to a warm room filled with high-tech equipment lined with photographs documenting the construction process.
My first Scilly Dark Skies week of COSMOS included a talk about dark sky photography and a guided tour around the island. Of course, there’s also the stargazing party.
We marveled at the brightness of the Milky Way, waited for the telescope to spin, and watched a star streak streak across the sky. The locals even witnessed the Northern Lights.
Whether it was the International Space Station or a shooting star, there was something beautiful about crowding around domes, scrolling around hip flask-like binoculars and calling out notes.
Looking through the telescope, I saw Saturn’s rings with amazing clarity, and I used my mobile phone to take a picture of the rings through the eyepiece.
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