observing – Astronomy Now

A stunning night sky composite photograph shows dozens of bright Perseid meteors streaking across the sky above a rural landscape, with the Milky Way arching overhead. The foreground features trees, a house, and softly lit structures, creating a serene countryside scene.

Meteor shower calendar

14 November 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

There are many meteor showers throughout the year. Here are the most prominent.

How to observe meteor showers

14 November 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

Everything you need to know to get started with observing meteors.

13 spooky images for Halloween

31 October 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

Witches, bats, ghosts and serpents – do you dare to visit our spooky gallery this Halloween?!

How to see Comet Lemmon

29 October 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

Don’t miss the chance to see Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) as it races towards its closest approach of the Sun on 8 November.

Four telescope images showing the progression of Titan's shadow crossing Saturn

See Titan’s shadow transit Saturn – next chance 2038!

3 October 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

On 6 October the shadow of Titan, Saturn’s giant moon, can be seen crossing Saturn’s creamy cloud tops.

Graphic showing the close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus with other stars and contellations marked on a dark sky, above a horizon with trees in silhouette.

Venus and Jupiter’s bright morning conjunction

10 August 2025 Emily Baldwin-Fiebrich

Get ready for a clash of the titans when Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in our Solar System, come together for a dazzling event visible across the length and breadth of the UK in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

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.