Browsing: Starwatch

On the night of 27 January, the moon passes in front of the Pleiades star cluster, temporarily hiding (occulting) some of its brightest members from view.The…

Taurus, the bull, is our focus this week. One of the oldest constellations to be recognised in its modern form, it was recorded as the bull…

The giant planet Jupiter reaches its closest approach to the Earth in 2026 this week. It is extremely well placed for observation and so bright that…

You can track down one of the zodiac’s fainter constellations this week. Aries, the ram, lies between Taurus to the east and Pisces to the west.…

If the Geminids whetted your appetite for meteor showers, then you are in luck. This week it is the turn of the Ursids. Admittedly, they are…

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…