THERE is an opportunity to spot planets and star clusters at an event celebrating the incredibly dark night sky of Bodmin Moor.

The stargazing event will be led by Caradon Observatory and takes place on Saturday, December 2 at Jamaica Inn. The event is one of a series showcasing the exceptional quality of the night sky over Bodmin Moor, which was designated as an International Dark Sky Landscape in July after a successful bid by Cornwall Council and Caradon Observatory.

From 5pm there will be a free stargazing session, which is open to everyone. At 7pm there will be a dinner. The dinner will be followed by another free stargazing session from 8.30pm onwards.

The first free stargazing session will start at 5pm with an array of telescopes, including a 12-inch telescope on loan from First Light Optics in Exeter. At this point the sun will have set and the moon will have risen in the east, while to the south west Mercury and Saturn will be about to set. By 6pm Neptune will be due south with Uranus riding higher to the South East.

The dinner event starts at 7pm and will include an introduction to Bodmin Moor’s International Dark Sky Landscape designation and a talk on Neptune and the Cornishman John Couch Adams, who predicted the planet’s existence in the 1800s based on irregularities in the motion of Uranus.

John Couch Adams initially worked out the calculations in his head before committing them to paper, where they took up some 20 sheets. There will also be an opportunity to see Neptune and its moon Triton illustrated on the Magic Planet, an interactive globe that depicts the topography of planets.

Outside observing will continue after the dinner event at 8.30pm with further opportunities to see the ice giants of the solar system. Weather permitting, there should also be a chance to see the beautiful double star, Albireo, at the head of Cygnus, the swan constellation. The contrasting colours of the two stars should be clearly visible through the telescope.

There will also be opportunities to see the craters and mare of the moon throughout the night. People should wrap up warm and keep their fingers crossed for clear skies.

Mike Willmott, fellow of the Royal Astronomical Association and Caradon Observatory’s director with responsibility for theoretical astronomy and education, said: “Everyone is welcome to join us for this opportunity to view the stars and planets from one of the darkest areas of night sky in the country. The main focus of the evening will be on the discovery of Neptune, and the work of Cornishman John Couch Adams. In 1845, he used mathematics to predict the position of a new planet, which would explain the observed irregularities in the position of Uranus.

“If it’s a clear night, there’ll be the chance to look through telescopes, or to look at the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest spiral galaxy and the most distant object you can view with the naked eye. If it’s cloudy, you’ll still be able to enjoy talks about the wonders of our universe and to put your questions to the astronomers.”

There is no need to book in advance for the free stargazing sessions, and people are welcome to drop in for the first session, which runs from 5pm to 7pm, or the second session from 8.30pm.

More information about Bodmin Moor’s International Dark Sky Landscape designation is available at www.cornwall.gov.uk/darksky