THE iconic Ribblehead Viaduct - which forms the backdrop for the new ITV drama series Jericho - will be featured in an exhibition exploring the dark skies of the Yorkshire Dales.

The exhibition, which will run from February 1 to March 22 in the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes, is part of a Dark Skies Festival being organised by the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors National Park Authorities during the February half term holidays.

Experts say that low light pollution in both national parks makes them ideal locations for spotting cosmic events, and the festival aims to encourage people to visit and see for themselves.

The exhibition at the museum, which is owned by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, will be called ‘A Celebration of Dark Skies’ and will feature the work of several local photographers.

One of them, Manchester-based Pete Collins, will be showing some stunning photos of the sky over the Ribblehead Viaduct.

He said: “With its history and presence, the Ribblehead Viaduct is an iconic landmark in the Dales and I return there time and time again to use it as the foreground for my starry sky images."

The main events of the festival will be held in and around the National Park Centres in Reeth, Aysgarth Falls and Danby, and Sutton Bank and Hawes, both of which are also designated Dark Sky Discovery sites with skies that have been found to be sufficiently dark that the Milky Way can be seen to the naked eye.

For more information about the festival visit www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/darkskies or www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/stargazing