A dazzling display of the Milky Way at Cuckmere Haven and a hauntingly beautiful shot of the legendary Chanctonbury Ring are among the winners of a South Downs competition.

This year broke a record since the contest’s inception in 2020, with more than 200 entries of incredible night-time shots from across the South Downs National Park.

The astrophotography winners are being announced as the National Park’s Dark Skies Festival kicks off this week, with an action-packed line-up of cosmic fun over the half-term holidays.

Among the highlights will be free stargazing events at Seven Sisters, Queen Elizabeth Country Park and Alice Holt, celebrating nocturnal wildlife, the wonders of the solar system and connecting with the universe for wellbeing.

The South Downs National Park is one of only 22 International Dark Sky Reserves in the world. The status recognises it as one of the most accessible places to see incredible views of the cosmos in the busy south east of England.

A double winner in this year’s photo contest was Giles Embleton-Smith, from Eastbourne, who took the top £100 prize in the Life at Night category with ‘Chanctonbury Coven’, an eerie image of the lichen-encrusted trees at the famous site that once was used as a Roman Temple and is reputedly one of the most haunted sites in England.Giles also won the Magnificent Moon category with a dreamy shot of a rising Cold Moon at Petworth Park.

The judging panel for this year’s competition included Vicki Wells, a Member of the National Park Authority who worked on the BBC’s Sky At Night programme, as well as Elinor Newman, a Dark Skies expert who organises the festival.

Giles, who takes home £200, said: “I love exploring and finding new locations under the dark skies of the South Downs National Park. Chanctonbury Ring and Petworth Park are both beautiful areas offering different perspectives and composition for nightscape photography. I loved capturing these images and I’m absolutely delighted to have won both the magnificent moon and life at night categories in this prestigious competition.”

Taking the top spot in the Dark Skyscapes category was Jamie Fielding, who wowed judges with his shot ‘To Infinity and Beyond’, capturing a spectacular night vista in the Cuckmere Valley.

The mobile phone category captured the pure joy of stargazing in the South Downs with a triumphant photograph of a family admiring the night’s sky.

Emily Birtwisle, who wins £100, said: “After a very eventful 2024, my family and I came to the Seven Sisters for a few days for a little break. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, and due to the early darkness we could make the most of the lack of light pollution and appreciate the stars. In this photo is the moon and Venus, with my cousins standing at the opening of Cuckmere Haven’s beach.”

Judge Elinor commented: “The theme of this year’s festival is glimmers, those small moments that bring us joy and wonder, and this image captures that sentiment. Seeing a dark sky in all its glory really is an uplifting experience!”

Meanwhile, three images were worthy runners-up, winning the photographers a £50 prize. In the Dark Skyscapes category, Richard Murray, from Waterlooville, impressed judges with the aurora above St Hubert’s Church at Idsworth, in Hampshire.

A stunning shot ‘Man Vs Galaxy’, taken by Eastbourne’s Lorcan Taylor-Hood, capturing the silhouette of a fellow photographer on the Eastbourne Downs, took second spot in Life at Night category.

‘A Harvest Moon at Cowdray Ruins’, in Midhurst, taken by Storrington photographer Andrew Gambling, was runner-up in the Magnificent Moon category.

And a well-composed black and white photograph of the groynes at Cuckmere Haven, taken by Keith Miller, won runner-up prize in the mobile phone category.

A number of images were highly-commended for their quality, uniqueness and storytelling. Carl Gough, from Littlehampton, wowed judges with two night-time views of castles in the National Park. Carl photographed the rare phenomenon of noctilucent clouds over Amberley Castle and also captured a shot of “Comet 12p Pons Brooks” at Arundel Castle.

Noctilucent clouds are collections of ice crystals – some 200,000ft up in the mesosphere – that stay visible at night because they are still reflecting sunlight due to their great height. They can only be seen at latitudes between 45°N and 80°N in the northern hemisphere, and equivalent latitudes in the southern hemisphere.

‘Amongst The Stars’, by Michael Steven Harris, was praised for depicting a rare wintry view of Fulking Escarpment on a recent January night. An image of a toad crossing the road at Exceat, East Sussex, taken by Peter Brooks, was also highly commended, along with a view of the Northern Lights at Beachy Head, taken by Rupert Kirby on his mobile phone.

Twenty shortlisted photographs will now go before the public to be crowned the People’s Choice winner. The poll will open upon the conclusion of the festival on February 23 and the winner will take home £75.

For the full line-up of events and activities for this year’s Dark Skies Festival, visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/dark-night-skies/dark-skies-festival.

This year the festival includes the launch of a new Embrace the Darkness podcast, hosted by Elinor Newman, and exploring different people’s connection and experiences with the dark skies.