Live coverage of the partial solar eclipse

Observers in the UK and Western Europe should find an observing location offering an unobscured eastern horizon an hour before sunrise on Sunday, 10 September to see innermost planet Mercury just 0.6 degrees from Regulus, the brightest star in Leo. Conspicuous planet Venus is your convenient celestial guide to finding Regulus, Mercury and Mars.

The waxing gibbous Moon passes close by the Solar System’s largest planet, Jupiter, on the nights of March 29th and 30th. Jupiter was at opposition last month, but it’s still big, bright and offers much to see in a telescope.

This spectacular six-panel mosaic picture of a solar prominence was taken in Italy by astrophotographer Paolo  Porcellana on 27 March 2015 using a home-made 150mm f/15 refractor — winning image of the Our Sun category in the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition 2015.