Sark: Dark Island Sky

Description

It is 10 years since Sark was designated as the World’s First Dark Sky Island by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) and we are delighted to celebrate this accolade with our stamps, which depict some of the island’s night skies.

In the absence of public street lighting, paved roads and cars, the beautiful island of Sark does not suffer from the effects of light pollution and its night sky is very dark, with meteors and countless stars on display. Since 2015, star gazers from all around the world have visited the observatory of the Sark Astronomy Society (SAstroS), which is in the heart of the island. Here visitors can learn more about the stars, constellations, galaxies, and Milky Way and look through the Observatory’s permanently mounted telescope to discover just how many billions of stars and suns there are out there.

50p: A view of Saturn, Jupiter and the Milky Way taken near Monk Rock on Sark, looking south with Brecqhou on the horizon.

70p: A view of the night sky from the east coast of Sark at Point Robert Lighthouse.

73p: The Milky Way with Jersey on the horizon and Sark’s La Coupée on the right.

£1.00: A view of Saturn, Jupiter and the Milky Way seen from the west coast of Sark looking to the southwest over Mer Tower.

£1.15: Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3), taken from Little Sark overlooking Brecqhou, Jethou, Herm, with Guernsey on the horizon.

£1.20: La Seigneurie (the ancestral home of the Seigneur of Sark) silhouetted against the Milky Way looking west.50p stamp: Furthest Point

Specification