Skills
Expert advice on a range of practical astronomy techniques, from setting up your telescope to combatting light pollution.
That bright star in the evening twilight? It's Venus. Here's how you can see it tonight
Venus season is here again. Start observing it this month and see it accompanied by Saturn in the evening sky.
Observing guide | How to see the planets in 2025
Our month-by-month guide to locating the planets throughout 2024
Visible planets 2025
Find out which planets you can see in the night sky in January 2024.
Mars reaches opposition in January 2025, the best time to see the Red Planet
This week is the best time to view Mars all year, as the Red Planet reaches opposition.
Meteor showers | When the next one is, and how to see it
Find out whether there is a meteor shower occurring above the UK tonight, when the next one is, and how to see a meteor for yourself.
Quadrantids 2024 | See the first major meteor shower of the year
Start 2024 with the first major meteor shower of the year.
Christmas Astronomy | What's in the night sky on 25 December
Got a new telescope for Christmas? Here's what you can see in the night sky on 25 December 2023.
Mars disappears behind the Moon this week. Find out how to photograph it with our step-by-step guide
Geminids 2024 | How to see this year's meteor shower
Find out when is the best time to see a Geminid meteor in the sky.
Observing guide | Best planets in December 2024
Find out what planets are in the night sky tonight and throughout the month of December 2023.
How to observe Jupiter through a telescope
See the gas giant through a telescope and observe its weather patterns, large moons and Great Red Spot.
Photograph the Moon with your smartphone camera
Tips and tricks to help you succeed in lunar astrophotography using a smartphone.
Leonids 2023 | See the meteor shower peak this weekend with our charts and top tips
The Leonid meteor shower peaks on 17 November. Find out how to see it in our beginner's guide.
Mars retrograde
How to observe and photograph Mars as it reverses its apparent motion against the stars.
Observing planets, November 2024
See Jupiter, its moons and its atmospheric features through a telescope this month.
Halloween Astronomy | How to plan a spooky stargazing session
Witches, dragons, demons and fireballs abound in the autumnal night sky, provided you know where to look.
Observing guide | 10 autumn binocular astronomy targets
You can see a lot in the night sky with a pair of binoculars. Here are 10 of the best bino targets in Autumn.
Barnard's Star is the closest single star to Earth. Star-hop your way to finding it with our guide
Our guide will help you star-hop across the Milky Way to find one of the nearest stars to the Solar System.
Orionids 2024 | How to see this year's meteor shower
See the Orionid meteor shower peak this week with our beginners' guide.
Averted vision: how to get a better view of night-sky objects
Averted vision enables the observer to see faint celestial objects with more clarity. With a bit of patience you'll see distant objects much clearer.
Skyscape photography: tips for capturing a stunning night sky
We'll show you how to blend two images from the same location to create a skyscape astrophoto, using a well-timed SpaceX launch as our foreground subject.
Observing guide | Planets, October 2024
As it approaches opposition, now's a great time to observe and image the gas giant.
Observing guide | Upcoming conjunctions and how to see them
Find out which conjunctions to look for in the night sky over the coming weeks.
Observing guide | Best autumn constellations
The darker months are a great time to get out and get stargazing. Get to know the brighter, recognisable constellations that are visible in the autumnal night sky.