Astronaut’s high praise for Sark

Stars at night seen from Sark. Picture: NICK DESPRES (35109439)

AN astronaut’s next adventure may be to Sark after labelling it a ‘must-visit’ island.

Major Tim Peake, the first British European Space Agency astronaut to visit the International Space Station, praised the Channel Island’s beautiful coastline and scenery.

Major Peake made the comment on a Facebook post by ‘Kate Walks the Coast’, a page run by the fiancée of Chris Lewis, the ex-paratrooper who has spent the last five years walking the British coastline continuously to raise money for SSAFA, the UK armed forces charity.

Sark has some of the best views of the night sky, and this week marked 12 years since it became the world’s first ‘Dark Sky Island’.

The status, granted by the International Dark Sky Association on 25 January 2011, reflects Sark’s lack of light pollution, which allows for an unobstructed view of the night sky.

‘A rich Milky Way is visible thanks to Sark’s island location, its generally low use of residential and commercial electricity, and of course its striking absence of public street lights,’ the IDA said.

Responding to the endorsement, Sark Tourism said: ‘We are delighted that Tim Peake has responded so positively and favourably to the post about Sark.

‘Sark is the world’s first designated Dark Sky Island and a visit from Tim would be absolutely amazing.

‘We hope that Tim will visit Sark soon and experience personally its magic and all that Sark has to offer.’

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