Advice

A hybrid solar eclipse is seen in Surabaya city on 20 April 2023 in Surabaya, Indonesia. Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images

How to see the hybrid solar eclipse

What are the best and safest ways to observe an eclipse? Credit: Leo Patrizi / Getty Images

How to observe an eclipse safely

Trails of the Lyrid Meteor Shower. Credit: Adventure Photo / Getty Images

Lyrid meteor shower 2023 See the springtime meteor shower peak this week

Best telescope mounts

Best telescope mounts

Starting on 15 April, track the discrepancy between mean and apparent solar times by marking where a gnomon’s shadow falls at the same time each day.

Use a sundial to measure the equation of time

A chart showing the Beehive Cluster in Cancer

A guide to the constellation Cancer

How to observe Mercury in the night sky. Credit: WALTER MYERS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Mercury How to see the planet at its best throughout April

Image showing Venus south of the Pleiades open star cluster

See Venus pass by the Pleiades star cluster this weekend

Chart showing the position of the lunar occultation of Alniyat on 10 April 2023.

See star Alniyat disappear behind the gibbous Moon this Monday

A composite image showing multiple Perseid meteors over Big Bend National park, 14 August 2016. Credit: Jason Weingart / Barcroft Media via Getty Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images

What causes a meteor shower?

A 2016 Perseid meteor over Cleveland National Forest, California, USA. Credit: Kevin Key / Slworking / Getty Images

The first of 2023’s Moon-free meteor showers starts this month

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

Chart showing the Bowl of Virgo asterism

A guide to star Vindemiatrix, the lip of the Bowl of Virgo

Which camera is best for astrophotography? Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Buyer's guide Best astro imaging cameras

Chart showing the location of Mercury throughout April 2023

Mercury See the inner planet at its best throughout April