Kerry Dark Sky Tourism

 How to start

Learning about the Night Time Sky is a great way to enjoy your time in the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve and whilst we would love to see you on one of our tours we are also committed to sharing the skies.

On our links page we have included access to some great resources but on this page we focus on getting started. There are many phone apps available now to help you identify stars and constellations and many people use them succesfully. We find however that a simple sky map helps a lot rather than trying to relate the scale of a phone to the Kerry Dark Sky. Also if you get a call or a text your screen lights up and ruins your night vision.

 

"The Evening Sky Map"  Follow this link to the website skymaps.com and download this month's Evening Sky Map . This is a free resource which gives a huge amount of easily accessible information. Buy yourself a rear red bike lamp (you can read the map but dont lose your night vision) and get out in the dark. Within 10 to 20 mins your night vision will be adjusted to the dark and you will see more and more stars. No phones or white torches as they ruin your night vision. You do not need a telescope! Your eyes are all you need in the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve but even simple binoculars will reveal more!

 

"Rocketmime"

Randy Culp's wonderful website Rocketmime.com,includes Sky Tour Maps & Commentry for each season of the year as well as a huge raft of additional material. Randy has done this work as a service to all who are interested in the Dark Skies of the world and we provide the link in the same spirit of sharing the Dark Sky in Kerry. Enjoy!

 

So you want to buy a telescope?

If you are new to astronomy do not buy a telescope! Read this fine article on the website Scopereviews then contact your local astronomy group. Most astronomers will talk all night about their equipment!! In the meantime if you are really tempted contact our supplier www,ktectelescopes.ie.  a super helpful Irish company and the biggest seller of telescopes here.