Looking south from Northern Ireland after sunset in the middle of May and you will see there is a parade of planets dominating the sky. On 15 May 2014 about 10.30pm, sweep westwards from the rising full Moon in the east to pale yellowish Saturn lying in the constellation Read more…
We could call April ‘The month of the Hairy Beasts’ as we’ll encounter more than a few as we leapfrog across the constellations over the next few weeks! And will you see a galaxy-sized monster rearing up out of the darkness somewhere in space? Well as there’s only one way Read more…
Since March means “Mars’ month” in Latin, we should find it a minor coincidence that Earth’s red terrestrial neighbour plays a more major role in the sky over the next few weeks. With continued astronomical twilight, an exploration of the centre ground astrology and astronomy share, and great opportunities to Read more…
While the winter sky may be the ‘Aladdin’s cave’ for skywatchers, and we may already have plundered deeply one of its greatest celestial treasures, the constellation of Orion, we forge ahead undeterred as February reveals yet another vault of celestial wonders awaiting exploration… No northern stargazer would wish to run Read more…
With an eventful stargazing year behind and us teetering on the brink of 2014 wondering what it may have in store, we can plunge in with confidence knowing that the night sky promises to reveal no less than some of its most distinctive and exciting constellations to us over the Read more…
While you may have plans afoot to adorn a certain coniferous sapling of verdant hue with all things bright, shiny, and sparkling in the next few weeks, let’s for a moment indulge in considering what will be the final display of celestial ‘fairy lights’ we’ll connect up in space for Read more…
Incredibly as we near the close of yet another year, a year that has already been rich in celestial sights for the sky-watcher, perhaps the climax of all-things-cosmic from the Earthlings’ point of view is about to commence with our Solar System’s brand new comet, ISON… “Release the Kraken!” Read more…
“Double Hubble toil and trouble…” -While some stargazers will recognise the slight liberty taken with the witches’ famous words in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, more than a double take of Hubble telescope images should help us decorate our night sky for the month that hosts Hallowe’en. Perhaps the most interesting direction Read more…
Although the back-to-school month may see many of us locked away in ‘darkened rooms’ on more than one occasion, where curtains are left open we may just find our rooms once again graced with a little starlight. With her bold letter-‘W’-like form grabbing your attention from high in the night Read more…
The month that takes its name from the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar provides us with a prime opportunity to locate a celestial king. This and the small but sure monthly progression back to astronomical twilight (total nocturnal darkness) as the year marches on guarantee that the different items in August’s Read more…
Now that summertime in the Northern hemisphere is in full swing a whole new batch of constellations can be seen in the south. Although the ‘late birds’ among us will be rewarded with the best viewings in the little hours after midnight, the opportunity to add these less well-known Read more…
With the longest day of the year imminent for those of us in the northern hemisphere, we will no doubt be hoping to enjoy a little more sunshine and warmth each evening than in the months just passed! This however does not preclude there being some really fascinating sights to Read more…
If you find yourself in the great outdoors any evening during May and it’s a cloudless night, turning your eyes towards the heavens could be an unusually interesting way for you to spend a few minutes. We’ll start by looking southwards. So once again look about 90 degrees to the Read more…
If you find yourself in the great outdoors any evening during April and it’s a cloudless night, turning your eyes towards the heavens could be an unusually interesting way for you to spend a few minutes. If we look at star charts we can see the night sky divided Read more…
The skies have been quite exciting for just the first two months of 2013, with a near earth asteroid and a crazy Russian Meteorite. Hopefully March will keep the celestial entertainment rolling with the first of 2013’s two extremely exciting comets becoming visible to us. Comets are like a young Read more…
Now hopefully any January blues are well and truly dispersed by now and you are prepared to take full advantage of the dark February night sky. Although special events may be sparse within the shortest month of the year, maybe we can use February as you would a favourite book Read more…
January sees the beginning of a New Year with everyone’s New Year’s resolutions to be healthier, to be happier and many people deciding to take up or return to a fun hobby from the past! With that I guarantee many are toying with the thought of lifting up those binoculars Read more…
Have you ever found yourself staring up into the sky wishing you knew the name of that odd shaped star pattern, or had an endless debate with someone about what exactly that really bright object was; a planet or a star but never went as far to find out?Well that Read more…
Autumn is well and truly settled in and we are in the ‘Hallowed’ month of October so many exciting things grace our sky!This month we can try and see what spooky sightings usually turn out to be, as well as some frightful objects that roam the October sky!The longer dark Read more…
So summer is officially over so goodbye to the long bright evenings and short warm nights and hello to autumn with its optimal night sky viewing with the longer nights.Everything is just right.It is the Goldilocks of the stargazing seasons; we also have some of the joys of the summer Read more…
The summer months have been particularly uneventful, or more so the events have been hard to spot in the bright summer nights but the month of August has some amazing celestial treats in store for both the weathered and the fresh stargazer. One of the most beautiful and mesmerizing Read more…
With the summer well underway we can really delve into some of the summertime treats the night sky has to offer us.Although the duration of darkness in the summer nights is relatively short compared to the rest of the year there are still celestial treats to behold.There are some very Read more…
The month of June is an extremely exciting month for the astronomical world with many wonders to feast our telescopic eyes upon. The beautiful June night sky has some early summer treats accompanied by the warmer nights, maybe not Bahamas’ warm but much more pleasant than the frosty chill of Read more…
We are well into the wonders of the spring night sky when May begins and we ‘may’ take advantage of the many clear nights we have been subjected to recently and try our luck at finding some of those more difficult patterns and objects that are hidden away among the Read more…
The month of April is fantastic month for stargazing and for astronomy in general with numerous dates to mark in your calendar. From Earth Day celebrated on 22 April, in aid of creating awareness of Earth’s environment and encourage conservation efforts, to International Astronomy Day on 28 April which is Read more…
At the beginning of March look west just after sunset to see three of the ‘wandering stars’. Mercury will be close to the horizon, with Venus and Jupiter shining brightly above it. Mercury will quickly set below the horizon and by the middle of the month will have disappeared from Read more…
If you look towards the west just after sunset this February you will see a very bright star in the darkening sky. Known as the Evening Star, brilliant Venus steals the celestial show. After the Moon, Venus is the next brightest object in the sky. Higher in the heavens and Read more…
It’s BBC Stargazing Live month, so even more of us will be looking skyward this January. What is there to see in the heavens these winter evenings? We are treated to several naked eye planets are this month. These “wandering stars”, as they were called by the ancients are easily Read more…
Which is the brightest star in the sky (apart from the Sun)? Many non-astronomers believe that the Pole star (Polaris) is the brightest star but there are at least forty brighter stars. The correct answer is Sirius, a wonder of the winter sky. Finding Sirius in the winter sky Read more…
The Leonids are one of the many annual meteor showers. The name comes from how they appear to emerge from the constellation Leo- the term for their apparent point of origin is the Radiant .The Leonids tend to be brighter than average meteors and they are also very fast by Read more…
October marks the peak of Autumn, leaves are falling from the trees, the evenings are darkening and Halloween and Christmas are just around the corner. With dusk falling earlier in the evening, this gives ample opportunity for stargazing without having to stay up too late. This month there are lots Read more…
September features yet another delightful selection of astronomical treats. Whether you are a veteran explorer of the night sky or new to star gazing, the heavens are full of wonders! Jupiter, king of the planets, is gracing the celestial stage this month from dusk till dawn. It is well worth Read more…
Planets orbiting other stars are now known to be common. Few can be seen with even the largest telescopes but on a summer night you can at least easily look towards some of the planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission. “About 2300 light years away in the direction of Lyra Read more…
The Perseid Meteor Shower will be at its peak on 12 and 13 August. One of the annual treats on the astronomical calendar, this display of celestial pyrotechnics thrills and amazes observers. There are several dozen such shows every year but the Perseids are among the most popular and fascinating Read more…
In a dark July night sky you can hardly miss Vega, Altair, and Deneb, the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle – fully up and dominating the northeast and east. What else is there to see on a summer night? Although it doesn’t get dark until late, this time Read more…
What can you see in the June night sky? During the month of June there is precious little darkness. Nevertheless there’s plenty to see and ponder on in the night sky. There has just been a lunar eclipse, it is summer solstice time and also the time of year to Read more…
In our latest night sky guide we look at the stars of late spring and early summer and ponder just what does the brightness of a star really mean. We are now well into the merry month of May and the nights are getting much warmer. The beauty and majesty Read more…
The April night sky is full of treats for the stargazer. In the 100th post of the Astronotes blog, Mary Bulman explains what you will be able to see. Stargazing is an amazing hobby. While you may use a telescope or binoculars your basic requirement is nothing more than the Read more…
What can you see in the March 2011 night sky? Mary Bulman has the answers, beginning with a tale from the folklore of Australia’s Aboriginal people. Did you ever look up at the sky on a clear starry night and wonder where the stars came from? I am going to Read more…
The long dark nights continue through February, but this does give us a chance to see some interesting objects in our night sky. This month features several planets. Sinead McNicholl has the details. The planet Jupiter is still visible and impossible to miss as it is still shining brightly towards Read more…
Orion the Hunter is the easiest to recognise constellation in the skies of the Northern Hemisphere. Big, and full of bright stars and interesting objects, Orion is a favourite amongst stargazers. Best of all, Orion is one of the tiny minority of constellations that actually looks like what is supposed Read more…
The long and dark nights of December feature some spectacular and easy to spot treats for the stargazer. In our regular guide to the night sky, Martina Redpath tells us all about the celestial wonders of December 2010’s night sky. As the year draws to a close, preparation for the Read more…
The darker evenings of November offer some thrilling sights to stargazers including the Leonid meteor shower. Martina Redpath has the details on what you can see in the November skies. As we get closer to the end of the year the nights are becoming increasingly longer and colder. This is Read more…
Judging by all the enquiries I have received recently, many of you are seeing a bright star in the south-eastern sky. This is not a star, especially not the star of Bethlehem, rather it is the mighty planet Jupiter. As Jupiter is in so perfect a position in the sky Read more…