Skills
Expert advice on a range of practical astronomy techniques, from setting up your telescope to combatting light pollution.
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.
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 guide | How to see the planets in 2024
Our month-by-month guide to locating the planets throughout 2024
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.
How to observe Saturn's moons
Which of Saturn's moons are brightest, and what sort of telescope do you need to see them? Find out in our observing guide.
7 of the best, most beautiful galaxies to observe in the night sky
Have you ever wanted to observe a galaxy through your telescope but don't know where to start? Our guide to 7 beautiful nearby galaxies will show you how.
Green stars | Take our emerald observing tour of the night sky
There may not be any green stars per se, but some stars appear to glow green. Take our night-sky tour and see if you can spot them.
How to see the Great Square of Pegasus
Discover the stars and irregular and spiral galaxies within the Great Square of Pegasus asterism.
Autumn astronomy | The best targets for longer nights
As nights get longer, these are the top night-sky highlights of autumn and how to see them.
4 star-hops to help you navigate the night sky
Use these easy methods to find 4 different targets in the night sky.
How to photograph the Moon
How to take photos of the Moon: photograph a crescent, capture craters, what equipment you need, techniques, tips and photographing the Moon with a smartphone.