Each year, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England asks the nation to help measure light pollution in their area by getting starry-eyed with us and counting visible stars.

In their publicity for the weekly count they write : "We think that dark and starry skies are a special part of our countryside. Nothing hears looking upwards to see velvety blackness, with twinkling constellations as far as the eye can see.

"Our buildings and streetlights emit light, though, and this can affect our view of truly dark skies. We want to make sure that we can all enjoy starlit nights, and we need your help in measuring what effect light is having on our views of the galaxy. "

What is Star Count?

The best way to see how many stars we can all see in the sky is… to count them.

They are asking people from all across the country to become citizen scientists and look heavenwards from home for one night. Join in by choosing a clear night between 6-14 February 2021, looking up at the constellation of Orion and letting them know how many stars you can spot.

You can stargaze from your garden, balcony, doorstep or even bedroom window.

For details on how to take part and how to send over your count click HERE : the CPRE site