I went to rural Wales to bathe in starlight and the Milky Way blew me away
#stargazing #astrotourism #dark sky reserves #light pollution #star bathing #wellness #Wales #Milky Way
📌 Key Takeaways
- Astrotourism is growing in popularity as people seek experiences away from light pollution
- 'Star bathing' focuses on emotional connection rather than scientific knowledge
- Wales has significant dark sky locations, with two International Dark Sky Reserves
- Scientific research confirms the wellness benefits of stargazing experiences
- Light pollution poses a threat to these experiences, but simple solutions exist
📖 Full Retelling
Journalist Rowenna Hoskin joined tourists Siân and James Harrison on a stargazing expedition in the rural Welsh hamlet of Gogoyan, Ceredigion, west Wales, on a recent evening, seeking to immerse themselves in the wonders of the night sky and escape light pollution with the guidance of astrotourism expert Dafydd Wyn Morgan. After enduring initial cloud cover that obscured visibility, the group was rewarded with an extraordinary celestial display beginning at 22:30. Lying on blankets spread across the ground, they marveled at Jupiter and other celestial objects while Wyn Morgan, owner of Serydda astrotourism company, guided them with a green laser pointer, pointing out constellations like Orion's Belt. The experience, which Wyn Morgan describes as 'star bathing,' mirrors the Japanese practice of forest bathing, focusing on emotional connection rather than scientific knowledge, though it often sparks deeper interest in astronomy. The astrotourism trend is gaining significant momentum, with Wales hosting two of the UK's six International Dark Sky Reserves. Dani Robertson, a dark skies officer for Snowdonia National Park, notes that 98% of the UK population lives under light-polluted skies, driving people from urban areas like London to seek out these experiences. Her events consistently have waiting lists, with one participant moved to tears upon finally seeing shooting stars for his 50th birthday. Scientific research by University College Cork's Annalisa Setti supports the wellness benefits of such experiences, explaining that observing nature creates an optimal level of arousal that leads to 'positive relaxation' and reduces activity in brain regions associated with negative thoughts.
🏷️ Themes
Astrotourism, Wellness, Conservation
📚 Related People & Topics
Wales
Country within the United Kingdom
Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmrɨ] ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Located on the island of Great Britain, it is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. As of 2021, it had a population ...
Milky Way
Galaxy containing our Solar System
The Milky Way or Milky Way Galaxy is the galaxy that includes the Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars in other arms of the galaxy, which are so far away that they cannot be individually distinguished ...
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Original Source
I went to rural Wales to bathe in starlight and the Milky Way blew me away 4 hours ago Share Save Rowenna Hoskin Ceredigion, west Wales Share Save The first thing that strikes me is the darkness. I can't see any stars - only clouds. Four-and-a-half hours later, at 22:30, the stars finally emerge, and it is breathtaking. The stars extend as far as the eye can see, in every direction. I'm with Siân and James Harrison, two avid star fans who've travelled from Cardiff to the tiny hamlet of Gogoyan, in the sweeping Ceredigion countryside in west Wales. We're here to immerse ourselves in the night sky with the help of a guide. Lying on a blanket spread out on the ground, we gaze up at Jupiter, one of the brightest planets in the sky. Poiting with a green laser which extends into the night sky, Dafydd Wyn Morgan, owner of astrotourism company Serydda, shows us three stars in a line, telling us he loves Orion's Belt. James chimes in, saying it's his favourite constellation, as the region surrounding it is a part of space where stars are constantly being born. "I'll focus on something and it'll be 150 million light years away," James says. "I can't quantify that." A sense of calm washes over me. I feel like I'm looking at the same sky my ancestors would have seen. Wyn Morgan's star bathing sessions involve setting up a smart telescope then lying on the ground looking up at the sky and talking about the sights on show that night - as well the myths and legends connected to them. It's similar to forest bathing , which emerged in Japan in the 1980s and has now become part of a range of astrotourism and wellness practices. "It's about the feeling at that precise moment," Wyn Morgan says, "how it makes you feel emotionally," rather than something more scientific which requires you to know about everything you see. But he says the experience might lead you to stargazing by giving you the confidence and interest to discover more. Wyn Morgan began Serydda in January 2025 after havin...
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