Brighton photographer Michael Harris’ picture, Ancient Light, captures the glowing band of the Milky Way stretching above an abandoned barn in East Sussex’s Balsdean Valley.
The stunning photo was named the winner in the South Downs National Park’s competition to mark the 10th anniversary of the park being named as an International Dark Sky Reserve.
Brighton photographer wins competition with South Downs snap
Dan Oakley, competition judge and dark skies expert, said: “I think this is an incredible and realistic photo of what the South Downs Dark Skies experience is.
“It’s beautifully framed.”
Ancient Light taken by Michael Harris captures the Milky Way over an abandoned barn in Balsdean Valley (Image: Ian Brierley/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Mr Harris, from Brighton, said the location’s layered history gives the image special meaning.
He said: “The site has had a long history with Roman occupation, as a medieval hamlet, use as accommodation during the Second World War and for farming.
“All of which have long since come and gone in the time it has taken for the light from the Milky Way above to reach us, which is approximately 26,000 years.”
The competition featured more than 130 entries and marked a decade since the South Downs was designated an International Dark Sky Reserve.
What is an International Dark Sky Reserve?
As explained on its website, the International Dark Sky Places (IDSP) program “certifies communities, parks, and protected areas around the world that preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education”.
DarkSky has certified more than 200 Places since 2001, where Flagstaff in Arizona was named the first International Dark Sky City.
There are now more than 160,000 square kilometres of protected land and night skies in 22 countries on six continents.
The South Downs National Park was officially designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve in May 2016, marking it as one of the most accessible spots for stargazing in the UK.
An International Dark Sky Reserve is a public or private land with exceptional starry nights and nocturnal environments, designated for its scientific, natural, or educational value.
Just this month, the hamlet Thorington Street, in Dedham Vale, became England’s first dark sky community.
It joins just six other communities with the status in the UK: Orkney, Coll, and Moffatt in Scotland, Presteigne and Gower in Wales and Sark in the Channel Islands.
See photos from other winners in the competition
Other winners included Richard Murray from Waterlooville, who took first place in the Life At Night category with Snail Trail To The Stars, a shot of a snail under The Plough asterism.
Elinor Newman, a judge and organiser of the South Downs National Park’s Dark Skies Festival, said: “This really does encapsulate life at night, with the snail, flora and lichen.
“The image has incredible detail, captures a moment and takes me to another place.
“A very inspiring image.”
In the new South Downs To Deep Space category, Nigel Stanbury from Haslemere, Surrey, won with his photograph Jellyfish Nebula, an image of a supernova remnant 5,000 light-years away.
You can see other winning and highly commended pictures below:
South Downs dark skies photography competition
Flemings Triangular Wisp by Stephen Martin was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Stephen Martin/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Belle Tout Lunar Eclipse by Lee Rouse was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Lee Rouse/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Moonlit Silver Studded Blue by Anthony Whitbourn was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Anthony Whitbourn/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Heart Nebula by Kayal Bodle, which was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Kayal Bodle/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Shared Sky by Maxine Monaghan was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Maxine Monaghan/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Trees of Life by Michael Harris was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Michael Harris/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Stargazer by Jen Fellows was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Jennie Fellows/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
The Living Night by Tom Elphick was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Richard Murray/South Downs National Park /PA Wire)
St Huberts Milky Way by Nathan Hill was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Nathan Hill/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Milky Way over Cuckmere by Daniel Richards was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Daniel Richards/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Tail of a Comet by Ivana Peranic was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Ivana Peranic/South Downs National Park)
A Galaxy far far away by Ivana Peranic was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Ivana Peranic/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Aurora Above Seven sisters by Maxine Monaghan was highly commended in the South Downs dark skies photography competition (Image: Maxine Monaghan/South Downs National Park)
Dark Skyscapes award
A Window To Our Galaxy taken by Lorcan Taylor-Hood won the Dark Skyscapes award (Image: Richard Murray/South Downs National Park /PA Wire)
Eclipsed taken by Carl Gough was runner up for the Dark Skyscapes award (Image: Ian Brierley/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Deep Space award
Jellyfish Nebula to the Stars taken by Nigel Stanbury won the Deep Space award (Image: Nigel Stanbury/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Winter’s View Orion taken by Tom Elphick was runner up in the Deep Space award (Image: Ian Brierley/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Life at Night award
Snail Trail to the Stars taken by Richard Murray which won the Life at Night award (Image: Richard Murray/South Downs National Park /PA Wire)
Moon Halo taken by Ian Brierley was runner up in the Life at Night award (Image: Ian Brierley/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
Meteoric Mobile Phone award
Moon Halo taken by Mandy Turner won the Meteoric Mobile Phone award (Image: Mandy Turner/South Downs National Park/PA Wire)
The South Downs National Park’s Dark Skies Festival runs until February 22.
The event also allows for opportunities for night walks and meeting local astronomy groups, as well as chances to enjoy the new family-friendly Dark Skies Explorer Trail and find out about nocturnal wildlife.
Have you visited the South Downs for stargazing before? Let us know in the comments.
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