Summer Star gazing walk at Mam Tor
Perfect for families and anyone unfamiliar with astronomy, this summer guide will introduce you to star gazing at Mam Tor, which stands proudly at the head of the Hope Valley.
Map
Start:
Mam Nick car park, grid ref: SK123832
1
Leave the car park at the top left hand corner and follow the surfaced path up to the edge of the road at Mam Nick. The Plough is perhaps the most easily recognised group of stars in the northern sky and is a very useful ‘skymark’. The Plough is always above the horizon and allows us to find Polaris, or the Pole Star. If you imagine The Plough as a saucepan, in summer it's tipped upside down.
Polaris
You can follow the lowest star of the pan, down towards another not-particularly-bright star. This star is Polaris. If you are looking at this star, you are facing north.
2
Go through the gate on the right and follow the surfaced path through the ancient ramparts of the hill fort to the summit trig point (15 mins). On the other side of Polaris if you continue your line of sight you can find a W of stars. This is the constellation of Cassiopeia.
Cassiopeia
The stars appear to rotate anti-clockwise round Polaris once every 24 hours). These stars in the northern sky are the same all year round, so you will always be able to find them on a clear night.
3
You are now in the centre of Mam Tor's Iron Age monument. The wide open skies here provide a wonderful spot for star gazing. Turning to look in the opposite direction, the stars in the southern sky change as the seasons change. Look out for the Summer Triangle. It is made up of the stars Deneb, Vega and Altair. Deneb is the body of Cygnus, the swan, whose cross-shape is also shown. If you’re very lucky, and get a very dark night, you might be able to see the Milky Way, our galaxy,down which Cygnus appears to fly. Why not lay a blanket on the ground and take it all in? Return via the same route.
The Arc to Arcturus
The other star in the southern sky is Arcturus. If you follow the curve of the handle of the Plough from the north to the south, you will eventually arrive at Arcturus. This is sometimes called the ‘arc to Arcturus’ and can help you join the northern sky and the southern sky up.
End:
Mam Nick car park, grid ref: SK123832
