Archive – Page 8 – Astronomy Now

Observers across the UK treated to brilliant display of aurora borealis

11 October 2024 Astronomy Now

Observers the length and breadth of the United Kingdom were treated to a brilliant display of the aurora borealis overnight on Thursday/Friday, 10/11 October 2024, during an extremely strong geomagnetic storm.

South America’s annular ‘Ring of Fire’ eclipse

26 September 2024 Mark Armstrong

The breathtaking majesty of a total eclipse of the Sun is unrivalled. However, an annular eclipse of the Sun is a very special event in and of itself. Parts of South America are the lucky ones on 2 October.

NGC 7479: Pegasus’ superb barred spiral galaxy

25 September 2024 Mark Armstrong

There’s something especially spectacular about a spiral galaxy which sports a central bar. NGC 7479 fits the bill as a classic example and one of the best in its morphological class.

Don’t miss Saturn at opposition

2 September 2024 Mark Armstrong

Ringed-world Saturn comes to opposition on 8 September, offering its best observing circumstances for the year.

Observe Mercury at its morning best

27 August 2024 Mark Armstrong

The elusive, innermost planet pulls to maximum elongation from the Sun to put on its best showing of the year in the pre-dawn sky.

Open clusters Messier 29 and 39: Cygnus’ star cities

26 August 2024 Mark Armstrong

Amid all the wonderful nebulae that Cygnus has to offer lie Messier 29 and 39, two fine open clusters which are both easily visible through a pair of binoculars against a marvellous Milky Way backdrop as they ride high on late summer nights.

Moon pesters the Pleiades

23 August 2024 Mark Armstrong

Some of the most spectacular observing events tale place when the Moon’s around, most gloriously when it lines us perfectly over the Sun, producing a total eclipse of the Sun.

The brilliant Wild Duck Cluster

21 August 2024 Steve Kelly

The Wild Duck Cluster in Scutum, known also Messier 11 and NGC 6705, is a deep-sky showpiece of the summer sky as one of the most spectacular open clusters in the heavens.

Watch as the Moon hides Saturn

20 August 2024 Mark Armstrong

Let’s hope for some clear skies on the morning of 21 August, so we can observe the beautiful ringed planet Saturn being occulted by the Moon.

The Perseids: the return of summer’s shooting star spectacular!

7 August 2024 Mark Armstrong

The annual Perseid meteor shower has been underway since last month and it predicted to reach its usual eagerly-anticipated maximum early next week, on 12 August between 13h and 16h UT.