MORE than 2,000 people took part in the 2024 Exmoor Dark Skies Festival, the eighth year of the event.

They travelled from all over the country to enjoy stargazing activities under some of the country’s least light-polluted skies.

Exmoor National Park Authority hosted the festival in conjunction with a range of partners who put on more than 50 events suitable for all ages and levels of stargazing fans.

Co-ordinator Julie Colman said: “The festival attracts people who want to learn more about what they can see in the night sky and it gives Exmoor tourism businesses a real boost during the autumn.

“Hundreds of people enjoyed our huge inflatable planetarium in South Molton and Minehead, which is an immersive experience for all ages.

“E-bike night rides and dark skies yoga proved incredibly popular, as well as a number of fantastic talks across Exmoor by Professor Roger Davies.”

The BBC’s Sky at Night production team attended to film dark sky hub activities which will be screened at 10pm on Monday, November 11, on BBC Four and will be available on the broadcaster’s iPlayer.

A record number of entries were received for the event’s children’s writing competition which the three judges will read before a prize giving later this month with a Celestron Starsense 102AZ telescope for the winner.

Ms Colman said: “Stargazers can enjoy our International Dark Sky Reserve with the naked eye or binoculars, but for those wanting to see phenomena such as Saturn’s moon Titan across the planet’s disc, they can hire a telescope from one of our national park centres.

“Dark skies events are available in the national park all year round and the early dark nights of winter are an excellent time for families to venture out on our Dark Sky Discovery Trail.”

Plans are already underway for the 2025 Dark Skies Festival which will take place between October 17 and November 2.

Ms Colman said Vertu Bridgwater BMW had already agreed to be the headline sponsor of next year’s festival.

Details of stargazing activities and events on Exmoor can be found at www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/stargazing.