As we head into spring it’s time for dusting off those telescope lenses and brushing up on some constellations. With the warmer weather coming in there’s also hope to see some meteors as April finishes off with the Lyrids meteor shower and a glimpse at the gas giants. Starting of Read more…
In July 2015, we will finally have our long-awaited closeup views of the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons when NASA’s New Horizons probe flies past the tiny and distant worlds. Assuming all goes well, suddenly we will have revealed to us about 25 million square kilometres of alien landscapes Read more…
So far this year we have seen QVC presenters discussing whether the moon was a star or a planet. On having searched online a voice in their earpiece told them the moon is a natural satellite, however this did not solve their dilemma and seemed to just cause more confusion. Read more…
Already the year 2015 is proving to be a great year for stargazing with planets, comets and meteorites gracing the skies but prepare for March as it brings a ‘micro moon’ and a solar eclipse. The planets are still sticking around for an appearance this month so if you haven’t Read more…
January is the marmite of every year, individuals either love it or hate it as it brings the beginning of a New Year and new opportunities yet marks the end of the festive Christmas season and a previous year filled with memories. Whilst most people make New Year’s resolutions to Read more…
When we think of the constellations of this time of year, Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila and Hercules are first to come to mind. However there are other overlooked constellations out there, some even hidden inside the Summer Triangle. Let’s go out about the middle of September and look to the south. Read more…
We all know of the pioneering journey of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and the sometimes forgotten third astronaut Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin were the first astronauts to successfully land the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle on the Moon in 1969 whilst Collins orbited in the Command and Service Module (CSM) Read more…
On 15 June 2014 look south about 10.30pm. The sky will be far from dark, but with a little effort you ought to spy the triangle topped by the star Arcturus and with Saturn and Mars at its base. By the time an hour has passed, around 11.30 pm, this Read more…
Is it possible that ancient cultures 7000 years ago knew how to create flying machines to traverse the sky and beyond using a technology that NASA engineers are still trying to harness today? The first artificial satellite launched famously into orbit was the Russian satellite Sputnik, in 1957. Prior to 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…