CUMBRIA Dark Skies Festival will light up February evenings with an array of online events celebrating the wonders of the night sky.

Astronomers, astrophotographers, authors, filmmakers, lighting and design professionals, performers, poets and outdoor adventurers will engage, enthral, wow and challenge us to think about darkness in a new light.

The festival will be broadcasting online events spanning 17 evenings February 5-21. Bookings have now opened, giving you the opportunity to sign up and explore our universe and dark skies with renowned local, regional and national experts.

Cumbria Tourism’s Sue Clarke said: “Everybody knows that the Lake District, Cumbria offers fantastic landscapes to explore during the day, but why should this stop when it gets dark? Cumbria is one of the best places in England for stargazing. So, with more than 1,000 stars visible on a clear night, dark skies form an important part of our ‘perfect place to be’ marketing campaign, designed to inspire future visitors by giving them even more reasons to choose us as their next destination when the time is right to travel again."

To book, visit the website at: www.darkskiescumbria.org.uk