Pete Lawrence

Astronomer and presenter

Pete Lawrence is an experienced astronomer and astrophotographer, and a presenter on BBC's The Sky at Night.

Recent articles by Pete Lawrence

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

How to see Dubhe, one of the Plough’s pointer stars

How to photograph a comet. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Astrophotography guides

How to photograph a comet

Orions Belt by John Harding, Sheffield, S. Yorkshire, UK. Equipment: Pentax KR DLSR

6 deep-sky objects to see in Orion’s Belt and Sword

A photo of Muscida in Ursa Major, captured by the Digitized Sky Survey (archive.eso.org/dss/dss)

Spot star Muscida, the nose of the Great Bear, Ursa Major

Illustration of the constellation Gemini

Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini

Towards the end of February 2023, Venus and Jupiter appear to be closing in on one another ahead of their closest separation of 38 arcminutes on 1 March. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Observing guide See Jupiter and Venus in the sky throughout February

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

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

Friends stargazing. Credit: EvgeniyShkolenko / Getty

Observing guide How to see the planets in 2023

Stuart Atkinson braved the cold at 05:45 UTC on 7 December 2022 to capture this (cropped) image of Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF. Equipment: Canon EOS 700D DSLR camera, iOptron sky tracker, 80-300mm lens at 300.

Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF, January 2023

A Geminid meteor streaks across the night sky over Saltburn-by-the-Sea, UK, 14 December 2018. Credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images.

Geminids 2022 How to see this year's meteor shower

A composite image showing the apparent reversal of Mars's movement in the night sky. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Observing guide See Mars change its course in the night sky

It will take around eight seconds for Uranus to disappear behind the Moon’s leading, bright limb as occultation begins. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Observing See the lunar occultation of Uranus on New Year's Day

lunar occultation of mars

Mars occultation See the Red Planet disappear behind the Moon