Browsing: Starwatch

Astronomical winter begins this week for the northern hemisphere, with the winter solstice taking place on 21 December. This is the shortest day of the year,…

The Perseid meteor shower in August often catches the headlines because of the warmer conditions associated with watching the display, but to many astronomers the Geminids…

This week, track down the constellation Cetus, variously referred to as the whale or sea monster. It is one of the faint constellations, but it sprawls…

It is time again for one of the more reliable meteor showers of the year: the Leonids. Active between early November and early December, the shower…

This week brings the largest supermoon of the year. Supermoons occur because the moon’s orbit is not perfectly circular around the Earth. Instead, it is an…

Star mapTime to track down a faint gem of the northern skies. Nestled between the bright constellations of Cygnus, the swan, and the mythical mother-daughter pair…

As seasoned meteor spotters will tell you, each meteor shower has its own peculiar characteristics. Earlier in the month, the Draconids were characterised by their slow-moving…

October is the beginning of the autumn and winter meteor shower season, which culminates in the Geminids in December. This week features the Draconids. It may…

This week, skywatchers can search for one of the more subtle celestial effects. The zodiacal light is the soft glow of sunlight scattered off the interplanetary…

The moon all but kisses the brilliant red supergiant star Antares this week. It is a spectacular meeting but one that will require some effort to…