STARGAZERS will be in their element early next year when two national parks team up team up for their first week-long Dark Skies Festival.

The Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors are joining forces tohelp people discover the wonders of the clear night sky.

And, together with the sky-at-night events, visitors will also be able to discover more of the nocturnal world within the parks with guided torchlight walks highlighting the wildlife activity at night.

The programme of activities includes events such as a dark sky trail run, evening caving, storytelling, glow-in-the-dark writing, poetry readings, solar system scavenger hunt, telescope-making and craft activities throughout the week.

The festival runs from February 15 to 21 with the main events in and around the National Park Centres in Reeth, Aysgarth Falls and Danby, as well as the designated Dark Sky Discovery sites at Sutton Bank, Hawes and Dalby Forest, where skies can be sufficiently dark that the Milky Way can be seen by the naked eye.

Both National Parks are working with groups such as the Reeth Informal Astronomy Group and Whitby and District Astronomical Society to stage the Festival.

Astronomer Richard Darn said: “Yorkshire is fortunate to have some very special spots in both National Parks which are a stargazer’s paradise. In an urban area you will be lucky to see 20 stars on a clear night whereas in an area of low light pollution such as the National Parks you could see as many as 2,000.”

He added: “We will glimpse the great winter constellations of Orion and Gemini as they give way to the sparkling spring stars of Leo. We'll also have a stunning view of Jupiter and a waxing moon. It's a fabulous time to celebrate this amazing universe and our wonderful dark parks.”

Further details will be available in 2016 on northyorkmoors.org.uk/darkskies or yorkshiredales.org.uk/stargazing