Advice

Illustration of the constellation Gemini

A guide to star Alhena (Gamma Geminorum)

A view of Venus through a Canon SX610HS hand-held camera and (inset) through an 80mm refractor telescope captured by Roger Samworth from his upstairs window in Warwickshire, UK, 12 November 2018.

See Venus return to the evening sky this month

How to calculate the length of time it takes Earth to rotate. Credit: Pawel Wewiorski / Getty

Calculate the speed of Earth’s rotation by observing the night sky

Image of a girl observing the Moon through her telescope.

2023 is set to be a spectacular year for observing the Moon

Meade Series 6000 115mm apo refractor

11 of the best telescopes to see the planets with 2023

The radiant is the point from which a meteor shower appears to originate, as seen from Earth. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Meteor showers When the next one is, and how to see it

The best night-sky shape to use as a guide is the Plough: it’s large, bright and visible year-round in the northern hemisphere. It has two stars called the 'pointers' that point to Polaris, the North Star. Polaris is almost exactly above Earth’s axis at the North Pole, so doesn’t move and shows which way is north.

How to star-hop the night sky

The Plough / Ursa Major. Credit: Christophe Lehenaff / Getty Images

A complete guide to observing the Plough in the night sky

The famous Pillars of Creation, M16, photographed using the StarGate 500 motorised Dobsonian paired with Altair GPCAM 290c, 158x 5”. Credit: Paul Money

Astrophotography guides

How to stack and derotate images with Astro Pixel Processor

Vixen Mobile Porta Altazimuth Mount. Credit: Opticron

Astrophotography guides

How to do deep-sky astrophotography with an alt-az mount

Friends stargazing. Credit: EvgeniyShkolenko / Getty

Observing guide How to see the planets in 2023

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ scale

Best beginners' telescopes

What to see in the night sky tonight. Credit: Carlos Fernandez / Getty Images

Stargazing What to see in the night sky this month

A Christmas Day get-together as the Moon, Mercury and Venus mingle on 25 December 2022. View at 16:45 UT. Credit: Pete Lawrence

See the crescent Moon with Mercury and Venus this Christmas Day

Best winter coats for astronomers

Best winter coats for stargazers