Alderney is bidding for a place on the astronomer's map.
Ken Hampton, director of the Sustainable Alderney Association, has spent a year collating evidence to have the island designated as a new International Dark Skies Reserve.
He sent photos of the darkest points on the island's night sky off to the International Dark Skies Association in Phoenix, Arizona.
He suggests the island's core 'dark skies area', is the Giffoine, because of its remoteness from any streetlights. The only artificial light it is affected by is one at the airport. This, he says, could be turned downwards.
Also in its favour is the fact it is States land and as green belt, protected from development.
"We have at least as good dark skies as Sark and because we are a little bit further from France, we're not light polluted from either Jersey or Guernsey, which Sark kind of is," said Mr Hampton.
"We've just got some slight advantages over them here. And it's States land and green belt, meaning it is ideal for something like this."
When a new area is given Dark Skies status it goes on astronomy websites all over the world.
Mr Hampton added: 'The immediate
benefit will be increased tourism. In all of the websites around the world that are astronomy related Alderney would suddenly be listed as a dark sky reserve so that would bring astronomers here."
He added: "The longer term will be more educational opportunities for young people. They will actually learn some things about science and that's an awful lot of what Sustainable Alderney is all about, trying to bring some of those kinds of long term benefits."
Mr Hampton decided to go it alone in applying for the designation independently of the States.
He said: "Two years ago Sark was given Dark Sky status and that was all over the news. Immediately I thought, why not Alderney? Why don't we just do it?
The Guernsey Bereavement Service has made three visits to Alderney over the past few months and would like to continue to help you. We are visiting the island again on
Tuesday, 23rd February 2024 and would invite anyone who feels they would like Bereavement Counselling to telephone the Bereavement Service Office on 257778 to make a time to meet one of our counsellors.
The Guernsey Bereavement Service has made three visits to Alderney over the past few months and would like to continue to help you. We are visiting the island again on
Tuesday, 23rd February 2024 and would invite anyone who feels they would like Bereavement Counselling to telephone the Bereavement Service Office on 257778 to make a time to meet one of our counsellors. 