Now is a great time to spot the other planets in our solar system, but where are the best places in Worcestershire to go stargazing?

Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and Venus are all visible to the naked eye throughout January.

And according to the UK Space Agency, those equipped with binoculars should even be able to spot Neptune and Uranus towards the end of the month.

Worcestershire has more than its fair share of open spaces and viewing points that aren’t too affected by light pollution, making it ideal for stargazing whether you have fancy equipment to help you or not.

The Malvern Hills in particular has plenty of great places from which to view the night sky - including sites from where you can see meteor showers and the Milky Way. 

In fact, there are two sites within the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that are official Dark Sky Discovery Sites - a nationwide network of sites that provide great views and are, according to the website, accessible to everyone.

Where are Worcestershire’s Dark Sky Discovery Sites?

There are two Dark Sky Discovery Sites in the area and both are near the Worcestershire border.

One, the car park of St John the Baptist Church in Mathon, is just over the border in Herefordshire.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest news for your local area? It's easy, just sign up for our email newsletters here and all the important stories that matter to you will be delivered straight to your inbox.

The other is Mill Pond, near Castlemorton Common.

It is signposted Golden Valley from the B4208 and there is a car park at the end of the lane.

Both of these sites are far enough from the bright lights of nearby towns and cities that you can see the Milky Way without any binoculars or telescopes.

What is visible in the night sky in January and February?

Jupiter is brighter than all the stars and is in the southwest sky after sunset until around 10pm. Mars is high in the evening sky, is pretty bright and is red.

Saturn, which is low in the southwestern sky and is golden in colour, is best seen between sunset and 7pm.

READ MORE: Four walks around Malvern that aren't the hills

Venus is also currently visible for a couple of hours every evening after sunset.

There are often meteor showers visible from Worcestershire’s dark sky spots - and at the start of February there may also be a comet, with the catchy name 2022 E3 (ZTF).