Subscribe now

star gazing

Space

How to see tonight's northern lights – the strongest in 20 years

A rare geomagnetic storm not seen for nearly 20 years could cause a stunning aurora borealis on 10 and 11 May

News

Free

the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern lights, putting on a show over Achmelvich beach, Sutherland, in the Highlands of Scotland, UK.

Space

How to see the Lyrid meteor shower and when is the peak?

Regulars

Subscriber-only

Falling stars during the April Lyrids 2020 (April 23rd). Composing of falling stars during a period of 2 hours and one 15 sec. exposure for the stars.; Shutterstock ID 1727321440; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Space

I might be an astrophysicist, but I'm still learning about stargazing

Comment

Subscriber-only

Silhouettes of people observing stars in night sky. Astronomy concept.; Shutterstock ID 586441904; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -
2BERRPE Spring sky panorama with Milky Way and constellations at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Canada.

Space

How to spot the Spring Triangle as the equinox approaches

Regulars

Subscriber-only

Northern Milky Way. Optical image of the Milky Way running through the northern constellations Cassiopeia, Perseus and Cepheus. North is at top. The Milky Way is the band of light crossing the sky formed from the millions of stars in the plane of our galaxy. Cassiopeia, the queen, is formed from the W of bright stars at centre right. Cepheus, the king, is at upper right. At lower right is the constellation Andromeda, the princess. At lower left is Perseus. These constellations represent a story from ancient Greek mythology in which Perseus rescued Andromeda, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, from a monster.

Space

How to spot the constellations Perseus and Auriga

Regulars

Subscriber-only

2R2JHWA Diamon ring during the 2023 Australian total solar eclipse in Exmouth

Space

The stargazing events to watch out for in 2024

Regulars

Subscriber-only

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Graeme Whipps/Shutterstock (4301807b) Pic shows the Geminid meteor shower over Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire on Sunday evening Dec 14th. A Scottish photographer has managed to get some pictures of the Geminid meteor shower on its FINAL night above the UK. Amateur astronomer Graeme Whipps picked up 13 meteors on camera in the dramatic display above Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire last night (Sun). "There was a little bit of airglow, an active burst of aurora, distant lightning flashes and last, but not least, the Geminids," said Graeme, 50, who works as a meteorologist. "It wasn't as bright as the 12th and 13th but they were much more frequent, although mostly short and fast moving." The shower is an annual occurrence which happens when the Earth crosses paths with a trail of rocky debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. The debris burns up when it enters the Earth's atmosphere, giving the appearance of a "shooting star." Annual Geminid Meteor Shower, Exeter, Devon, Britain - 14 Dec 2014 A Scottish photographer has managed to get some pictures of the Geminid meteor shower on its FINAL night above the UK. Amateur astronomer Graeme Whipps picked up 13 meteors on camera in the dramatic display above Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire. "There was a little bit of airglow, an active burst of aurora, distant lightning flashes and last, but not least, the Geminids," said Graeme, 50, who works as a meteorologist. "It wasn't as bright as the 12th and 13th but they were much more frequent, although mostly short and fast moving." The shower is an annual occurrence which happens when the Earth crosses paths with a trail of rocky debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. The debris burns up when it enters the Earth's atmosphere, giving the appearance of a "shooting star."

Space

How to spot this year's Geminid meteor shower

Regulars

Subscriber-only

Our home galaxy, the Milky Way in a starry sky. The three bright stars Deneb (left), Vega (middle top), and Altair (right) form the Summer Triangle. The red cloud near the star Deneb is the North America Nebula.

Space

How to spot the constellation Aquila and its deep-sky objects

Regulars

Subscriber-only

E036X7 Constellation Cygnus (Cyg), one of the modern constellations from "Constellations" serie

Space

It's a great time to see the Cygnus constellation – here's how

Regulars

Subscriber-only

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2017/07/Exploring_Jupiter t may still be some years away from launch, and over a decade before our Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer reaches the gas giant and its icy moons, but preparations are well under way. This new artist?s impression depicts the final spacecraft design, the construction of which is being overseen by Airbus Defence and Space. The spacecraft?s solar wings form a distinctive cross-shape totalling 97 sq m, the largest ever flown on an interplanetary mission. The size is essential to generate sufficient power ? around 850 W ? for the instruments and spacecraft so far from the Sun. The spacecraft is furnished with a laboratory of instruments that will investigate Jupiter?s turbulent atmosphere and vast magnetosphere, as well as study the planet-sized moons Ganymede, Europa and Callisto. All three moons are thought to have oceans of liquid water beneath their icy crusts and should provide key clues on the potential for such moons to harbour habitable environments. Juice?s cameras will capture exquisite details of the moon?s features, as well as identify the ices and minerals on their surfaces. Other instruments will sound the subsurface and interior of the moons to better understand the location and nature of their buried oceans. The tenuous atmosphere around the moons will also be explored. The spacecraft will also include booms such as a 10 m-long magnetometer mast (seen towards the bottom of Juice in the artist impression), a 16 m radar antenna (the long boom across the top), and antennas to measure electric and magnetic fields. Ganymede is the only moon in the Solar System to generate its own internal magnetic field, and Juice is well equipped to document its behaviour and explore its interaction with Jupiter?s own magnetosphere. Juice is scheduled for launch in 2022 on a seven-year journey to the Jovian system. Its tour will include a dedicated orbit phase of Jupiter, targeted flybys of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, and finally nine months orbiting Ganymede ? the first time any moon beyond our own has been orbited by a spacecraft. In the artist?s impression, which is not to scale, Ganymede is shown in the foreground, Callisto to the far right, and Europa centre-right. Volcanically active moon Io is also shown, at left. The moons were imaged by NASA?s Galileo spacecraft; Jupiter is seen here with a vivid aurora, captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. ESA/ATG medialab; Jupiter: NASA/ESA/J. Nichols (University of Leicester); Ganymede: NASA/JPL; Io: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona; Callisto and Europa: NASA/JPL/DLR

Space

How to spot Jupiter's icy moons

Jupiter’s Galilean moons are promising places to look for life. Now is a great time to see them, says Abigail Beall

Regulars

Subscriber-only

2CNWGJN Ophiuchus star constellation, Night sky, Cluster of stars, Deep space,?Serpentarius, Serpent bearer

Space

How to spot Ophiuchus, the thirteenth zodiacal constellation

Regulars

Subscriber-only

2GYKRJN The waxing crescent Moon near the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini, with Mars below, as the last of the winter stars set into the western twilight on

Space

How to spot Mars travelling through Gemini this week

Regulars

Subscriber-only

FGGJAF M44 - Praesepe also known as the Beehive Cluster - an open star cluster in the constellation of Cancer

Space

How to spot the Beehive cluster in the constellation of Cancer

Regulars

Subscriber-only

Photo taken in London, United Kingdom

Space

A stargazer's guide to managing light pollution

Regulars

Subscriber-only