YOUNGSTERS showed no fear of the dark as Petersfield Festival Hall held its first Stargazing South Downs Event.

The fun was part of the South Downs Dark Skies Festival, a two-week programme of events organised by the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA).

The national park is officially one of the best places in the world to view the moon and stars having been granted International Dark Sky Reserve status in 2016.

The SDNPA is keen to highlight this accolade while this year’s festival also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the moon landings.

Petersfield Festival Hall was packed with youngsters getting the chance to put on an astronaut’s suit and wonder at the night sky inside a planetarium. Visitors could also learn about the constellations, planets and nocturnal animals while the Hampshire Astronomical Group took along a variety of telescopes for visitors to try out.

"We’ve been supporting the SDNPA since its inception because the dark skies above the park are just as important as its countryside," said Richard Judd, president of the Clanfield-based group.

"It’s also nice to make youngsters aware there’s more to life than Facebook. I think the response today has been superb as the organisers here were expecting around 200 to 300 people but 160 turned up in the first hour."

Dan Oakley, Dark Skies ’lead ranger’ at the SDNPA, was disappointed at the overcast weather but was thrilled with the public’s response.

He said: "When we went through the consultation process, one of the special qualities that came through was the dark skies above the park so we’ve looked at ways to protect them.

"I think we’ll do something like this again here next year. Our stargazing and dark sky events are definitely growing in popularity."

John Mason, of Chichester Planetarium, was also pleased to see so many youngsters engaging with astronomers at the event.

He said: "It’s not just about stars, though, it’s about the whole night-time environment, so we’ve got owls and bats here, too.

"It’s just as important as the day-time environment."