Dark Sky Season in the Preselis

Pembrokeshire is a peninsula with a small population, which means that from the middle of the county the light domes are distant and low. On a clear, moonless night in the Preselis you can see the Milky Way as a structured band rather than a smudge.

Where to go. The hill roads over the Preselis, with lay-bys at the high points; the standing stones and cairns up there make good foregrounds for photographs. The north coast headlands around Strumble and Dinas are darker still to the north, with only sea beyond. Marloes and the Deer Park face west into nothing. Anywhere inland, away from Haverfordwest and the Milford refineries, is decent.

When. October to February. The nights are long, the winter constellations are up — Orion, the Pleiades, Taurus — and Jupiter and Saturn are often well placed. You need clear air and no moon: check the moon phase before committing to a night, because a full moon washes out everything.

What you might catch. The Milky Way core is a summer object here and low, but the winter arm is fine. Meteor showers in December are reliable. Aurora is uncommon at this latitude but does happen in strong solar activity, and when it does, the north coast headlands are the place to be.

Practical. It is cold and exposed. Layers, a flask, a red torch to keep your night vision, and something to lie on. Give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt and put the phone away, which is the part most people fail at.