History of astronomy
The story of the Chelyabinsk meteorite
It's 10 years since the Chelyabinsk spacerock fell to Earth. What have we learned over the past decade?
How Uranus was discovered
Who discovered Uranus, when was it first observed and how did the planet get its name? Find out in our guide to the history of Uranus's discovery.
The Wow! signal: a message from an extra-terrestrial civilisation?
15 August 2022 marks the 45th anniversary of the Wow! signal. But are we any closer to discovering what it really was?
Who really invented the telescope? And no, it wasn't Galileo. This is the true story of astronomy's beginnings
Hale–Bopp gets all the glory, but not many remember another beautiful comet that graced our skies the year before
Another heatwave is coming this weekend. Are these the dog days of summer? And what does the phrase mean?
How the Moon may have played a role in the building of Stonehenge
New US quarter coin honours astronomer whose work radically transformed our understanding of the Universe
12 ancient stones, tombs and temples across the world that align with the Sun at the solstice
The history of the Soyuz rocket
Iain Todd explores the history of the Soyuz: one of space engineering’s greatest achievements.
Comet Hale-Bopp, the story of a visitor from the edge of the Solar System
What was Comet Hale-Bopp, how was it discovered and why was its appearance in the night sky so important? Katrin-Raynor Evans explores the history of this celestial visitor.
Stephen Hawking beginner's guide and his biggest discoveries
Stephen Hawking’s work revolutionised our ideas about how the Universe began.
Eureka! We thought we knew how the Universe works, but these radical ideas changed everything
Astrophysicist Ersilia Vaudo explores five key moments in astronomy and space science that forever changed what we know about the cosmos
When does Easter fall and what does it have to do with the Moon?
A history of spacewalks
Why February has only 28 days? Nothing more scientific than Roman superstition...
Why is February so short? Why do its days number just 28?
Leap years explained, and why 2025 isn't one
In a Leap Year, there are 29 days in February, but why? It's to do with Earth's orbit around the Sun, the Gregorian Calendar and the Romans.
The T Coronae Borealis 'Blaze Star' nova may have been seen by a 13th century German abbott
Johannes Hevelius
Percival Lowell, the astronomer who searched for planet X
In this archive article, the late Patrick Moore looks at the life of Percival Lowell.
Astronomers you should know | John Flamsteed
The first Astronomer Royal was a self-taught observer and a perfectionist. Patrick Moore reflects on Flamsteed’s achievements and his spat with Edmond Halley
What was the Christmas Star of Bethlehem?
What was the star of Bethlehem? Did it really exist? And could there be an astronomical explanation for the story of the star that guided the Magi?