A WINCHESTER scientist is keen to get everyone stargazing using just their mobile phones. 

Dr Jenny Shipway used to run the planetarium at the Science Centre and is now involved in a number of national astronomy education projects, including scriptwriting for planetarium films.

She is coordinating a UK-wide stargazing event titled ‘100 Hours Under One Sky’, which will be taking place from October 2 to October 5 2024.  

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It is one of a number of activities happening to support the 100 Hours of Astronomy celebration led by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Dr Shipway said: "This is the best time of year to reconnect with the sky. I think we're often just so busy that we forget to look up, but a starry night sky is the most incredible sight in nature."

"People sometimes think you need to drive out to a dark site, or buy a telescope, to enjoy the night sky. But that's really not true. You can just look out from your bedroom window, or stop for five minutes after getting home at night to look up. The sky is for everyone." 

"Just think - the light from those stars has travelled maybe hundreds of years through the vast emptiness of space. And now the Earth has carried you to this exact place at this exact moment and you can look up and catch it in your eyes.

"The light energy from that distant star is absorbed by your body, giving you a direct connection to the Universe. If this wasn't such an everyday experience, we would find it utterly astonishing."

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You will only need three things to participate in this stargazing event: A good view of the night sky, a mobile phone connected to the internet, and the URL of the website which you can access by visiting 100hours.online

This activity allows you to get involved from your home with no expectations or prior knowledge of astronomy.  

If you fancy finding a stargazing spot local to you, visit https://gostargazing.co.uk/dark-sky-sites-across-uk/ to find optimal stargazing spots in Winchester.