by Adam Welbourn Summer is just around the corner, you can almost feel it in the tingles of warmth you get from the Sun, for those few moments when the wind drops… After an unusually cold April the forecasts finally show some sign of improvement, and it’s about this time of year that stargazing becomes even…
Category: Space
Astronomy Events – April 2016
by Adam Welbourn Ah… finally there’s a hint of a little warmth to that sunlight! I know I must have been warm outdoors at some point in the past, but I’m struggling to remember an example of when… The clocks have gone forwards, evenings are lighter for longer, but with so much to see in the night sky…
Astronomy Events – March 2016
by Adam Welbourn If Spring is on the way it seems to have neglected to let the temperature know! The wind has been bitter recently, meaning the few crystal clear evenings we were afforded in February were too frosty for any serious viewing. But with British Summer Time virtually upon us, nothing heralds the onset of more favourable outdoor…
Astronomy Events – February 2016
by Adam Welbourn As much as dark skies are what stargazers crave, and the longer the darkness the more gazing that can be done, it’s nice that afternoons are now noticeably lighter for longer! Apart from a week or so of cold snowy weather affecting most of the northern UK it has been one of the mildest…
Astronomy Events – January 2016
by Adam Welbourn A new year is once again upon us, and like nearly everyone else you find us smiley faced and full of hope as to what 2016 will bring! There’s a lot happening in January from an astronomical viewpoint, and as usual we’ve cherry picked some happenings of interest so hopefully there will be something for everyone….
Astronomy Events – December 2015
by Adam Welbourn And in the blink of an eye December is once again upon us, and another year of Sky-Watching guides is all but complete. It’s been another good year for amateur stargazers and already some are looking to 2016. But don’t miss what’s happening in front of you by looking only towards the future……
Astronomy Events – November 2015
by Adam Welbourn Blimey it’s getting colder now isn’t it!? A few clearer evenings at the end of October and you don’t half notice the chill in the air. Great conditions for observing the heavens then! November sees some great sights to behold (and image!) and with a meteor shower thrown into the mix it’s a…
Astronomy Events – October 2015
by Adam Welbourn Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few days you can’t have helped but notice the sudden spike in interest astronomy has enjoyed. The Super Blood Eclipse Moon at the end of September had more people outdoors at unsociable hours than a midnight launch of a new iPhone*. And so…
Astronomy Events – September 2015
by yaska77 Summer obviously found somewhere better to be this year, after promising early hints of it looking to impose itself for a long stay. Plans of weekends spent outdoors with the BBQ going remain unfulfilled, and our night sky observing was limited to a single cloudy evening of Perseid meteor spotting! For amateur stargazers however…
Astronomy Events – August 2015
by yaska77 Where is the summer going? I literally write up one of these fabulous guides (I’m nothing if not modest), work and sleep a couple of times and suddenly it’s time for the next one! A lesson perhaps in the need to slow down, to take time to appreciate the simple things and most…
Astronomy Events – July 2015
by yaska77 Summer is finally here! We’ve had some nice hot days recently, which I’ll be honest has made a really nice change. I will also apologise now for any potential minor mis-keys that may appear in this guide, it’s been so nice today I cracked open a beer as soon as I got home…
Astronomy Events – June 2015
by yaska77 It would seem that the UK’s infamous “April Showers” were a little tardy this year, eventually turning up fashionably late in May… Clear evenings were sadly few and far between which meant any serious observing was very difficult to arrange! But weather forecasters are hopeful for June, and we’ll take any piece of…
Astronomy Events – May 2015
by yaska77 I am so eager to dust off the scope and have another night out under the stars imaging away it’s starting to make me twitchy. The plan is to get some of the Sky-Watching founders (that makes us sound far grander than we could ever hope to be) together the first clear evening…
Astronomy Events – April 2015
by yaska77 As much as I love the longer dark winter evenings I’ll admit I am now thoroughly bored of the cold. The clocks going forward an hour at the end of March has helped give us the first hints of the lighter summer evenings to come, and it’s a good feeling! So while dreaming of…
Astronomy Events – March 2015
by yaska77 We’re now heading into one of my two favourite times of year. Spring and Autumn are perfect for some long evenings out under the stars, you still get the benefit of longer nights without the downside of frostbite! There’s quite a lot to get excited about in March, plenty of the usual spotting opportunities…
Astronomy Events – February 2015
by yaska77 Another month ticked off then, it really feels like I sit down to compile these guides every other week at the moment, time seems to be passing so quickly. Modern lives can keep us so busy we rarely treat ourselves to a good look at the beauty of the night sky, and even…
Astronomy Events – January 2015
by yaska77 Another year has been ticked off and a squeaky clean and shiny new one is upon us, all fresh faced and full of promise and optimism. Many start off the new year with plans, aspirations or resolutions, but all too soon most of us will become complacent and slip back into routine, forgetting why…
Astronomy Events – December 2014
by yaska77 Have you noticed it yet? That particular familiar smell in the air that tells you it’s going to be a frosty evening. Festive lights are starting to appear on houses and trees, and the queues of cars trying to get in and out of shopping centres gets longer day by day. It can only…
Astronomy Events – November 2014
by yaska77 It’s amazing how much turning the clocks back by just one hour can make the world of difference, as we did in the UK recently when British Summer Time officially came to an end. Almost instantly you feel the change from summer to winter, even if temperatures haven’t yet started to plummet, and many…
Astronomy Events – October 2014
by yaska77 The nights are certainly closing in quickly now, and although that confirms summer is most definitely over it also means more hours of darkness for astronomy and sky-watching! There are some nice events this month to get you outdoors, but if all else fails the annual Orionid meteor shower nearly coincides with the new Moon,…
Astronomy Events – September 2014
by yaska77 Don’t get us wrong, we love summertime but we often find we’re busier doing things other than astronomy in the evenings. So as the nights start to draw in and things are cooling down, we find we have more time to get the flasks filled up and out in the dark sky watching again. Last month…
Astronomy Events – August 2014
by yaska77 The British summer is often maligned, and usually for good reason we’ll agree. But this year we’ve had some nice balmy (if often hazy) evenings so we’re hopeful to get some more imaging done soon as it’s been a while… Particularly of interest are some nice upcoming conjunctions and a meteor shower, so…
Astronomy Events – July 2014
by yaska77 Summertime! Long days, short warm evenings, is there a better season to enjoy the night? This is the time of year to have friends round for a barbecue during the day, then fire up the chimenea for a little warmth and light and stay outside long into the night, under a blanket of twinkling stars. Perfect! But what…
Astronomy Events – June 2014
by yaska77 So much of the year has passed already and we would be genuinely depressed at the lack of viewing opportunities we’ve had this year, if we weren’t so sickeningly optimistic! June usually promises much opportunity for stargazing however, so we’ll keep our gear on standby and see what we can do about bringing…
Astronomy Events – May 2014
by yaska77 Now we’re talking, the weather is warming up nicely and hanging around outdoors for the evening is no longer the daunting (and chilly) prospect it was just a few months ago. We admit we’ve not exactly flooded this blog with our images recently, but the impetus is there to rectify that soon so…
Astronomy Events – April 2014
by yaska77 British Summer Time is now in effect, giving us lighter evenings and signalling the approach of actual summertime 🙂 April is a good month for garden astronomers, the warmer evenings allow for longer use of scopes and cameras without as much annoyance from dew and lens fogging (or general freezing!) but it’s still…
Getting back into the swing of things…
by yaska77 Who’d have thought it!? I’ve actually been outside with my telescope and finally got some fresh images to share! Now, in my defence the wet and sodden Winter caused my garage door to seize shut with my telescope mount inside, making it impossible to use my scope for months (and my wife refused…
Astronomy Events – March 2014
by yaska77 The weather is turning! It must be by now!? After the wettest (and probably windiest) winter on record in the UK karma best be ready to give us an amazing Spring!! The layer of dust currently sitting on our telescopes could be used to insulate a small home. So we’re eager for some…
Astronomy Events – February 2014
by yaska77 Well January seems to have passed in a flash! Unfortunately the much reported terrible weather we’ve had in Britain has meant we’ve been afforded no chance whatsoever to get any astronomy done, and have had to content ourselves with a triple dose of Stargazing LIVE and images sent to us on Twitter. There…
Astronomy Events – January 2014
by yaska77 Happy New Year! Firstly, all of us at Sky-Watching would like to wish our visitors a very happy 2014! It’s because you keep visiting and reading our posts that we keep writing, and although weather and circumstance have been against us uploading more of our own images in 2013, we’re fresh faced and…
Astronomy Events – December 2013
by yaska77 How did this happen? One minute we were lauding the approach of Spring and a few sleeps later it’s December. The year has gone all too rapidly for my liking. My telescope must truly think I’ve abandoned it! But, it may get used sooner than it thinks. At the time of writing, comet…
Astronomy Events – November 2013
by yaska77 November is one of the best months for stargazing in my opinion. It’s not so freezing your fingers fall off but the air is cold enough for good seeing conditions, it’s dark already when you get home from work so you can get your gear set up nice and early, and there’s usually…
Astronomy Events – October 2013
by yaska77 With the darker evenings now truly upon us it’s a great time to be out observing (before it gets really cold!). October has historically been our best month for getting our own images too, so we are vowing to get our ‘scopes out again in October and we’ll post some of our results!…
Astronomy Events – September 2013
by yaska77 September is usually a good month for us for observing. It’s not so cold your fingers freeze, but it is dark enough earlier in the evening now to get some good stargazing in before finally falling in to bed. And there are also fewer neighbours sat outside with garden lights on messing up…
Astronomy Events – August 2013
by yaska77 Another new month is here so dust off your telescopes, crane your necks and get outside for the latest of our monthly astronomy guides is upon us! Of specific note this month is the annual Perseid meteor shower. Last year we were really lucky both seeing and photographing many meteors, so we’re crossing…
Astronomy Events – July 2013
by yaska77 It’s been an incredibly frustrating first half of the year. Evening conditions have seen cloud more often than not, and even clear days have been followed by hazy nights. But a new month is upon us and we’re eager to get our telescopes dusted off and in use again, so come back often…
Super-Earths located around nearby star
by yaska77 Scientists have identified three new planets around a star 22 light years away, one already suspected of hosting a trio of worlds. This discovery means that the relatively nearby star, Gliese 667C, now has three so-called super-Earths orbiting in its “goldilocks zone”. This is the habitable region where temperatures allow for the possibility…
Astronomy Events – June 2013
by yaska77 Clouds have been a perpetual feature during the hours of darkness for what seems like weeks now. But with a new dose of optimism and an urge to get imaging again, here’s our guide to a fresh new month of heavenly happenings! What are you most looking forward to? Saturday 1st June – Twilight…
Astronomy Events – May 2013
by yaska77 Hot on the heels of an unexpected break in the weather (allowing us to see April’s partial eclipse of the Moon) we’re eager to get stuck in to another new month of astronomical events! Now spring has finally arrived in the UK we’re hoping to be able to get some new images to…
Three years of pioneering observation ends
by tte-77 ESA’s Herschel space observatory has as planned exhausted its supply of liquid helium coolant forcing its optics offline. In effect, Herschel has gone blind which ends over three years of pioneering observations of the cool Universe. Herschel was Launched in May 2009 and, with a primary mirror 3.5 m across, is/was the largest,…
Astronomy Events – April 2013
by yaska77 Unfortunately for us, since we told you about the visit of comet PANSTARRS our own skies have seen nothing but clouds! It’s been great seeing all the photos on Twitter, but we’re gutted we’ve not had chance to image it ourselves. Still, to be a stargazer you have to keep your chin up,…
Astronomy Events – March 2013
by yaska77 Well here we are at March already! Spring is approaching, the days are getting longer and we’re hoping the weather also improves! This month we have the potential of a comet being visible to the naked eye, so read through below for details. There should be something for everyone to enjoy so keep…
3D printers could construct Moonbase
by yaska77 London based architects Foster and Partners have revealed designs for a building on the Moon that could be constructed from the material already on its surface. Working with the European Space Agency, the plan involves launching a capsule which includes an inflatable structure to deploy near the Moon’s southern pole. This structure will…
Astronomy Events – February 2013
by yaska77 A new month is upon us which means as usual we’ve highlighted below some great astronomical events throughout February to keep your eyes on the skies! There should be something below for everyone to enjoy 🙂 Sunday 3rd February – Today is a last quarter Moon Thursday 7th February – The Moon is…
Stargazing LIVE returns to BBC on 8th January
by yaska77 Viewers in the UK have a televisual astronomical treat coming up for three evenings this week as Stargazing LIVE returns to BBC 2 (and BBC HD) tomorrow evening. Beginning at 8pm and broadcasting live from the famous Jodrell Bank Observatory, the show is aimed at encouraging everyone – whether complete beginner or enthusiastic…
Astronomy Events – January 2013
by yaska77 We’d like to take this opportunity to wish all our visitors a very happy and prosperous New Year! 2013 has much potential for stargazing and we’ve vowed to bring you more photos and articles than ever before. As usual we’ve highlighted below some great heavenly happenings throughout January to keep your eyes skyward…
Astronomy Events – December 2012
by yaska77 We’re now into advent calendar territory as we venture into December! Another year nearly done but don’t look too far ahead just yet. Listed below are some upcoming astronomical events with something to interest everyone, so we hope you can get out there and get stargazing. If anyone is taking pictures please tweet…
Astronomy Events – November 2012
by yaska77 Dark early evening skies are back with us now British Summer Time has ended, and winter is fast approaching. We’ve had little to no opportunity for much observing or photography in recent months, something we’re hoping desperately to rectify as soon as possible! Listed below are some upcoming astronomical events with something to…
Astronomy Events – October 2012
by yaska77 As it is getting darker earlier and the nights once again have that familiar chilly bite, it can only mean we’ve reached our Astronomy Guide for October already! We were lucky to observe a very active Perseid meteor shower in August, so with two showers reaching peak in October we’d like to get…
Hubble’s eXtreme view of the Universe
by yaska77 When it comes to looking into and imaging the past, the Hubble Space Telescope continues to produce shots of breathtaking wonder. Called the eXtreme Deep Field, or XDF, the image below was assembled by combining 10 years of NASA Hubble Space Telescope photographs taken of a patch of sky at the center of…
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