Russell Deeks
Science writer
Russell Deeks is a freelance journalist specialising in science and technology. He has been an occasional contributor to BBC Sky at Night Magazine since 2006.
Recent articles by Russell Deeks
You'll never see a straight rainbow on Earth. Here's the science behind the curved beams of light in our sky
Why rainbows are always curved
This is the biggest moon in the Solar System. It's huge, it's weird, and we've learned some pretty interesting stuff about it in the past 400 years
Facts about Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede
Some say Earth's radiation belts mean human spaceflight is impossible. Here's why they're wrong
The science of the Van Allen Belts.
Does a beam of light travel forever, or will it eventually run out? Here's what the science says
Why doesn’t the Sun just float away into space? Here's what the science says
The Sun seems to be static, but in truth is anything but
A 'wall of death' on the Moon could help astronauts prevent their bodies from wasting away
Could the classic circus stunt be the answer to helping lunar settlers exercise?
How many planets are there? It's a trickier question to answer than you might think...
What makes a planet? How many are there in our Solar System and the wider Universe?
What is Area 51 and what really goes on there?
Area 51 is most known for it's inclusion in alien conspiracy theories. But what actually is Area 51 and what really goes on there?
The story of Kepler-22b, the first exoplanet discovered orbiting in the Goldilocks Zone of its star
Kepler 22-b lies about 15% closer to its parent star than Earth does to the Sun
Our Galaxy and others are being pulled into deep space by something called the Great Attractor
In space, nothing is ever still. You feel like you’re sitting still as you read this, but you’re not
When does Easter fall and what does it have to do with the Moon?
Why Easter moves around year after year, and what it's got to do with the full Moon
Why February has only 28 days? Nothing more scientific than Roman superstition...
Why is February so short? Why do its days number just 28?
The colours of all the Solar System planets, and what causes them
What colour are the planets and why are their apparent hues so different?
You live here. This is where Earth, our Sun and all the planets are found within our Galaxy
Far from being at the centre of the Universe, Earth is located in the spiral arm of a fairly small galaxy.
The biggest thing in the Universe is the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall, 10 billion lightyears across
29 of the scariest things in space
Take our tour of terror through the cosmos.
Is space really silent? Turns out the answer's not as simple as you think
We're told there's no sound in space; that it's silent. But is that strictly true?
When will the world end? Here's what science says are the biggest ways Earth could meet its doom
Can science tell us when the world will end?
Earth doesn't have rings, but it may once have (and humans have done a good job trying to give it some)
Does Earth have rings? As is so often the case in astronomy, this is one of those seemingly simple questions that actually has no simple, obvious answer. Or at least, not one that tells the whole story, because there IS, of course, a simple, obvious answer readily available – that answer being no, Earth doesn't have rings. Read more For proof of that, just look up! Were Earth encircled, like Saturn, by rings of rock, ice and dust, you’d expect same to be visible with the naked eye at least some of the time… but there’s nothing there. Why do
From the Cold War to Artemis – 20 of the bravest astronauts who ever donned a spacesuit
15 astronauts who had the right stuff, and more
To boldly go... The story of astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space
The story of Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
Gravity in space? Despite what you may think, there's loads of it
The force we call gravity is everywhere and affecting everything.
Ever seen the 'spiders' on Mars? Strange features are as big as 35 basketball courts. Scientists have worked out what they are
It turns out David Bowie was right: there really are spiders on Mars! These ones, though, aren’t eight-legged creepy-crawlies, but rather a geological phenomenon. Spiders on Mars are really a geological phenomenon called ‘araneiform terrain’, if you want to get all technical about it. More on Mars All the same, look at pictures of the Martian surface by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter or Mars Express missions. These little black bobs do indeed look like dozens of spiders crawling around. What causes spiders on Mars The 'spiders' on Mars aren't really spiders, of course. Spiders on Mars are a seasonal feature
