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See Saturn as opposition this weekend

22 August 2023 Mark Armstrong

The amazing ringed world Saturn, the jewel in the Solar System’s crown, comes to opposition on 27 August.

Capitalise on Barnard’s giant ‘E’ in the sky

21 August 2023 Mark Armstrong

Barnard’s ‘E’ in Aquila is formed from the dark nebulae Barnard 142 and 143 (B142/143). At

New comet predicted to brighten rapidly as it sprints Sunwards

18 August 2023 Mark Armstrong

Comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) is a brand new comet discovered by on August 11 by Hideo Nishimura of Japan. In its one and only visit to the Solar System, it may reach magnitude +2 when at perihelion in September.

Celestial pyrotechnics in NGC 6946, the Fireworks Galaxy

14 August 2023 Mark Armstrong

NGC 6946 is a marvellously handsome-looking galaxy, with its enticing ‘pinwheel’ spiral structure set in a star-sparkling field for those imagers looking for the prettiest of pictures.

Perseids peak this weekend

8 August 2023 Mark Armstrong

The Perseid meteor shower, the year’s most popular shooting star show, reaches its predicted maximum activity this weekend, with the Moon’s glare not such a factor this time around.

Ancient open cluster NGC 6791: towards the dawn of the Universe in Lyra

7 August 2023 Mark Armstrong

NGC 6791 is well placed on August nights; located under 10 degrees east of brilliant Vega (alpha [α] Lyrae), it rides high and can be observed throughout the darkening nights.

Galaxy NGC 4565: Coma’s edge-on wonder

29 May 2023 Mark Armstrong

It’s quite an accolade for NGC 4565, a stunning edge-on galaxy in Coma Berenices that’s also known as Caldwell 38 and the Needle Galaxy, to be widely regarded as the finest in its class.

Call on the Coma Star Cluster

23 May 2023 Mark Armstrong

Melotte III is a sprawling open cluster that can be spotted with the naked eye tucked away in far north-west of Coma Berenices.

Make eyes at Messier 64, the Black Eye Galaxy

15 May 2023 Mark Armstrong

There are so many bright galaxies to choose from in springtime, but one you definitely shouldn’t miss is the marvellous ‘Black Eye Galaxy’, or Messier 64.

Webb finds more debris rings around Fomalhaut suggesting unseen planets

9 May 2023 Astronomy Now

Webb telescope discovers nested rings of debris around the hot young star Fomalhaut, an apparent indicator of unseen planets amid the chaos of their formation.