A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled and written by Steve Sawyer
Hi and welcome to Februarys What’s Up. Well January seems have whistled by very quickly despite being the month associated with the post Christmas / winter blues. I hope you’ve managed to enjoy some of the clear nights we’ve had, and fingers crossed for a few more in the coming month. Continue reading
A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled and written by Steve Sawyer
Happy New Year and welcome to the first “What’s Up”! of 2025
To kick off this month, let’s have a look at some of the major events happening in 2025. Continue reading
[Take the December 2024 Quiz – Christmas Special]
So what’s on this month?
A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled by Steve Sawyer
Welcome to December’s “What’s Up”!
Well first I can’t believe the year has passed so quickly. I just looked back at last December’s What’s Up and it seemed like 5 minutes since I wrote it!
I hope everyone has had a fantastic year filled with the excitement and wonder of exploring astronomy! Continue reading
A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled by Steve Sawyer
Welcome to November’s “What’s Up”!
I always like this time of year with the darker evenings. I’m more of a morning person than a night owl so the earlier dark skies are great. Hopefully we get some clear skies too.
This month, aside from the sparkle of fireworks, we can look forward to the Leonids and Northern Taurids meteor showers. The planets are also becoming easier to view again. Continue reading
A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled by Steve Sawyer
Hi and welcome to Octobers What’s up. The nights are certainly drawing in now and will soon extend with the advent of daylight saving ending on the 27th. Hopefully the clear skies we’ve enjoyed during September will continue.
This month we can hope to see comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (shorter comet names please!) and several meteor showers. Continue reading
A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled by Steve Sawyer
Hi welcome to Septembers whats up. September brings darker evenings which are hopefully still warm! And there’s plenty to see in the night sky with constellations like Andromeda, Taurus, and Gemini rising in the east, and the Milky Way arching across sky. We also have strong solar activity, a partial lunar eclipse and even some planets to view!
A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled by Steve Sawyer
Summer appears to be here at the moment so enjoy it whilst it lasts. hopefully we’ll have some warm clear evenings to enjoy the annual Perseid meteor shower, there’s also a lunar occultation of Saturn to enjoy. Another sight to look for at this time of year is the Milky Way as it stretches across the southern sky. So if you have a dark sky location have a look.
Continue readingA monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled by Steve Sawyer
Welcome to Julys what’s up. I hope you’re all enjoying the warmer weather and the brighter evenings. Even with the bright nights there’s still plenty to see. And don’t forget July is also an excellent month for spotting noctilucent clouds. This was taken a few nights ago from my front door.
Continue readingA monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled by Steve Sawyer
Welcome to Junes what’s up. I hope you all managed to see the Aurora last month, if not there may be a chance this month as the giant sunspot that caused last months event becomes Earth facing again. Here’s hoping for a bit less rain and some clear skies for summer!
As we approach the summer solstice on June 20, the night sky in southern England and Ireland experiences a unique phenomenon: twilight persists throughout the night. In Scotland, the sky remains so light that most fainter stars and constellations become invisible. Even the brighter stars, such as the familiar asterism of the Plough in Ursa Major, are challenging to see except around midnight. Continue reading
A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth
Compiled by Steve Sawyer
Well, it’s May already, how did that happen? I’m hoping for a few warmer days and some clear skies (with a little less rain!).
Over the northern horizon, Cassiopeia appears low, with the southern areas of Perseus and Auriga fading into obscurity, although the Double Cluster nestled between them remains a vivid sight. Unfortunately, the Andromeda Galaxy dips too low to be easily spotted. Continue reading