Residents and visitors in the Peak District are being asked to spot the constellation of Orion to help measure light pollution in the area.
People are being asked to go outside on a clear night up to 5 January or between 28 January and 2 February.
It's hoped they can spot the distinctive Orion in the night sky.
Stargazers are then asked to log their location, time and date and compare what they see with a series of images available online.
The survey is being conducted by the Peak District National Park Authority, in conjunction with local astronomical societies, to determine how much light pollution obscures our view of the night sky.
Head of Environment at the authority, Jane Chapman, said light pollution can spoil our views of the heavens: "If you go outside and look at the night sky, quite often, on the fringes of the National Park, you just see an orange glow.
"The lights from industry, from factories, from sports complexes are all obscuring our wonderful views of thousands and thousands of stars in the night sky."
Orion's belt
Orion, the hunter, is one of the most recognisable constellations in the night sky and in the UK it is a prominent feature of the winter.
In January, the constellation is due south in the sky between around 2000 and 2100 GMT.
Bright stars make up the most obvious parts of the constellation though Orion is most obvious for the line of three equally-spaced stars making up the hunter's belt.
Other bright stars mark his shoulders, neck and kneecaps, whilst other stars locate his arm, club, sword and shield.
Orion also holds some spectacular nebulae, including the spectacular Horsehead nebula and the Orion nebula, though these are not easily seen with the naked eye.
Those taking part in the survey are asked to count how many of the constellation's stars they can see and then log their findings on the authority's website.
Jane Chapman added: "Light pollution not only affects our enjoyment of the night sky, it wastes energy and has an impact on the wellbeing of people and wildlife.
"This information will provide valuable evidence as to the quality of our night sky, and allow us to develop policies to protect it for future generations."
BBC local news
| 
