Space and astronomy

Night sky highlights - May 2026

Freya Richards — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:13:29 +0000

Night sky highlights - May 2026 Freya Richards Thu, 04/30/2026 - 10:13

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in May 2026

6 May - watch the peak of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower
31 May - see the second full Moon of the month, called a 'blue moon'!
Throughout the month - spot the 'hairlike' Coma Star Cluster

Look Up! podcast

Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomers Jess and Gideon explore May’s must-see cosmic objects and events in this podcast. They also discuss this month’s cosmic news story, with a special focus on the Artemis II mission.

Got a question about space? Send it to us at ROGeducation@rmg.co.uk and our team of astronomers will answer it in next month’s podcast.

Two moons in a month: the blue moon explained

Once in a Blue Moon © Rob Mogford, shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2015

May is a special month for the Moon. Not only does it start with a full Moon on 1 May, but a second full Moon follows at the very end of the month, on the 31st. Two full Moons in a single calendar month is an unusual treat - and the second one has a rather evocative name: a blue moon. But where does that name come from, and why does it even happen?

The answer lies in a small but persistent mismatch between the Moon's rhythm and our calendar. The Moon completes a full cycle of its phases in roughly 29½ days, and over a full year it fits in 12 complete cycles - adding up to about 354 days. That leaves the lunar calendar running about 11 days short of the solar year. Over the course of two to three years, those missing days accumulate until a 13th full moon slips into the year. When two full moons fall in the same calendar month, the second one earns the title of blue moon.

Confusingly, that's only one of the definitions, but it would score you points in the 1986 edition of Trivial Pursuit. The older and arguably more technically correct meaning refers to the third full moon in an astronomical season that contains four - with seasons being defined by the equinoxes and solstices. Either way, blue moons occur every two to three years: unusual, but not vanishingly rare.

As for the colour itself: ordinarily, the Moon is resolutely not blue. But there have been remarkable historical exceptions. After the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883, volcanic dust suspended in the atmosphere turned sunsets green and the Moon a genuine shade of blue for the better part of two years. In 1927, an unusually prolonged dry season in India filled the air with enough dust to produce a blue moon, and in 1951, smoke from vast Canadian forest fires had a similar effect over North America. Events like these are rare enough to have given us the expression 'once in a blue moon'.

The phrase has also embedded itself in culture far beyond astronomy. Elvis Presley and other crooners used it as a symbol of longing, it became an anthem for Manchester City Football Club, and should you wish to observe this blue moon with a glass in hand, you can mix one at home with gin, curaçao and lemon juice.

The planets in May: last chance for Jupiter

Sadly, May is not the richest month for planet spotting. Mars and Saturn are both rising in the early morning but remain washed out by the glare of the Sun - we'll have to wait until June for those to come into their own.

What May does offer, however, is a final opportunity to enjoy Jupiter before it sinks below the horizon as summer approaches. Make the most of it while you can.

Venus, meanwhile, continues to dazzle as the brightest object in the evening sky after the Sun itself, hanging low in the west after sunset.

Left: 18 May, 10pm - Venus and Moon ~3 degrees apart. Right: 19 May, 10pm - Crescent Moon between Venus and Jupiter. Credit: Stellarium/Gideon Bendavid-Walker

Two dates in particular are worth marking in your diary. On the evening of 18 May, a slim crescent moon will pass within about 3 degrees of Venus - roughly the width of two fingers held at arm's length. Then on the 19th, the Moon will have shifted to sit neatly between Jupiter and Venus, with all three forming an elegant line across the twilight sky.

That alignment is no coincidence: it's a reminder that the Solar System is remarkably flat. The Moon, the planets, and the Sun all travel along nearly the same plane in the sky - a great arc known as the ecliptic. On the 19th, you'll be able to trace it with your eye in a single glance.

An ancient haircut: Coma Berenices

Coma Berenices featured on the bottom right with surrounding constellations.

This month, we turn our attention to one of the sky's lesser-known but genuinely fascinating constellations: Coma Berenices - the Hair of Berenice.

The stars in this region of sky were well known to the ancient Greeks. The mathematician Eratosthenes, who, around 2,000 years ago, calculated the circumference of the Earth to within 1–2% of our modern measurements, wrote that they represented the hair of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete.

It was Ptolemy III who gave the constellation its current identity, renaming it in honour of his wife, Queen Berenice II. According to the legend, Berenice sacrificed her hair as an offering to the gods, praying for her husband's safe return from the Third Syrian War. When he came back victorious, her golden locks were said to have been swept up into the heavens.

Coma Berenices holds the distinction of being the only constellation named after a real historical figure.

The constellation is made up of just three stars, sitting east of Leo - and it has to be said that it helps to have a generous imagination to see a flowing lock of hair in them. The constellation fell out of use for a time, with many Renaissance-era astronomers treating these stars as Leo's tail, before western astronomers in the 1500s formally reinstated it to Coma Berenices.

What makes Coma Berenices worth seeking out is the star cluster nestled within it: Melotte 111, the Coma Star Cluster. Located just 280 light-years away, it is one of the nearest open clusters to Earth and is visible to the naked eye as a soft, hazy patch under suitably dark skies. The cluster spans around 4 degrees - roughly eight times the apparent diameter of the full Moon - which means binoculars are your best tool here; a telescope's field of view is actually too narrow to do it justice.

Coma Star Cluster by Alberto Pisabarro

The cluster contains around 40 young, blue stars and, because it's so close, astronomers can measure its stars' distances, motions and chemistry with exceptional precision. Already quite spread out, it also offers a glimpse of the future: this is what happens as open clusters slowly drift apart and eventually dissolve into the wider Milky Way.

Looking deeper: the Needle Galaxy

Needle Galaxy © Andriy Borovkov

Spring is often called galaxy season. When we look towards Coma Berenices, we are gazing out of the plane of the Milky Way and into the depths of the Universe beyond - and it would be a shame not to take advantage.

Just east of the Coma Star Cluster lies the Needle Galaxy, a slender, edge-on spiral that appears through small telescopes as an impossibly thin sliver of light - exactly as its name suggests. Its spiral structure is hidden from us by its orientation; we are looking at it perfectly side-on. It was discovered by William Herschel, the astronomer who identified Uranus, whose family forged a remarkable connection with the Royal Observatory Greenwich that spanned more than a century.

Sir William Herschel and Caroline Herschel. Colour lithograph by A. Diethe, ca. 1896. Wellcome collection

His sister Caroline Herschel is particularly worth celebrating. A pioneering astronomer in her own right, she became the first woman to discover a comet and the first woman to hold a paid position as a professional astronomer in Britain.

Star hopping from Regulus in Leo to the Coma Star Cluster. Credit: Stellarium/Gideon Bendavid-Walker

Finding Coma Berenices: start by locating Regulus, the brilliant blue-white star that marks the heart of Leo, in the south-western sky. It sits at the base of a backward question mark of stars called the Sickle. Draw a line from Regulus to Delta Leonis (also known as Zosma, from the Greek for 'girdle', a reference to its position on the lion's hip), then continue that line for roughly the same distance again, and you will land on the Coma Star Cluster.

Eta Aquariid meteor shower: debris from Halley's Comet

Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower in Mount Bromo © Justin Ng

Hot on the heels of April's Lyrids, May brings another meteor shower: the Eta Aquariids. The shower is active until 28 May but reaches its peak on the night of 5-6 May.

Like the Orionids in October, the Eta Aquariids are made of debris shed by Comet Halley - the most famous of all comets, first linked to its recurring appearances by Edmond Halley, the second Astronomer Royal to work here at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

As the Earth passes through the trail of dust and ice particles left in the comet's wake, those tiny fragments burn up in our atmosphere, producing fast, bright streaks of light.

And fast they are: Eta Aquariid meteors strike the upper atmosphere at around 40 miles per second, and many leave long, glowing trains in their wake - a particularly beautiful effect that lingers for a moment after the meteor itself has vanished.

Conditions this year are unfortunately not ideal. A bright waning gibbous moon will be up for much of the night, and its light will wash out fainter meteors. However, the Moon rises just after midnight, so the hours before then will offer the best window. That said, the shower favours observers in the Southern Hemisphere - from the UK, the radiant point in Aquarius remains low in the pre-dawn sky, so don't expect the rates you might see from further south.

As for Comet Halley itself, it will not return to our skies until 2061. For now, catching one of its meteors will have to do.

Southern Hemisphere: Hamburger Galaxy

The Many Jets and Shells of Centaurus A © Connor Matherne

For readers observing from the Southern Hemisphere, May offers one of the finest objects in the entire sky: Centaurus A, sometimes nicknamed the Hamburger Galaxy for the dramatic dark band that bisects its appearance.

It is the closest active galaxy to us at around 11 million light years away, and is quite unlike anything else in the sky. Astronomers believe its complex, disturbed appearance is the result of a colossal collision between two galaxies, long since merged into one. That turbulent past has left it with a chaotic dust lane cutting across its core and faint, rippling shells of stars extending outwards - structures first revealed by the astronomer David Malin, who pioneered photographic techniques capable of capturing extraordinarily faint structures in space from black-and-white photographic plates.

At its heart sits a supermassive black hole, which drives powerful jets of material outward at close to the speed of light. These jets blaze across the Universe in X-ray and radio wavelengths, making Centaurus A one of the most intensively studied objects in the entire southern sky.

It was first discovered in 1826 by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop, observing from Parramatta Observatory in what is now western Sydney.
Under pristine dark skies, Centaurus A may just be detectable to the naked eye - though binoculars or a small telescope will reveal far more.

Finding Centaurus A: use the Southern Cross to hop to Delta and Gamma Centauri, then locate Omega Centauri (the largest globular cluster in the sky). Centaurus A sits just a little to the north of Omega Centauri, and is a superb target for both visual observers and astrophotographers alike.

The Moon's phases in May 2026

The Moon and Earth from Artemis 2, credit: NASA

Full Moon - 01 May (11:23)
Last quarter - 09 May (05:51)
New moon - 16 May (14:01)
First quarter - 23 May (05:11)
Full Moon - 31 May (02:45)

Stargazing tips

When looking at faint objects such as stars, nebulae, the Milky Way and other galaxies, it is important to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark so that you can achieve better night vision.

Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to become sensitive in the dark, and remember not to look at your mobile phone or any other bright device when stargazing.

If you're using a stargazing app on your phone, switch on the red night vision mode.

‘A very good library’

Shane McMurray — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:48:30 +0000

‘A very good library’ Shane McMurray Tue, 04/14/2026 - 13:48

The ‘Observatory within our Park at Greenwich’

Humanity has always been fascinated by the stars. Today, we can send crewed missions like Artemis II around the Moon. We can see further into the cosmos than ever before using the James Webb Space Telescope. But 350 years ago, we could only gaze upon ‘heavenly spheres’ in observatories, such as Greenwich, and wonder.

In 1675 Charles II appointed John Flamsteed as his Astronomical Observator and ordered the building of 'a small Observatory within our Park at Greenwich upon the highest ground'. Flamsteed House, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was finished in 1676 and observations began shortly afterwards when Flamsteed took up residence.

Entrance of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich c1860. RMG ID: H1551.

In 2025 the Royal Observatory celebrated 350 years since its founding. For much of its history it served as a vital centre for astronomy, navigation and timekeeping. During the 18th century the Observatory was at the forefront of efforts to accurately measure longitude at sea. In the 19th century it took on greater significance, finding itself at the centre of world time and navigation.

The 20th century was a time of transformation as its scientific work migrated elsewhere, and the site became a museum. Astronomical observation retuned in the 21st century, with the installation of the Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescope (AMAT). An extensive transformation of the site is now underway as part of First Light.

'There is a Library'

An astronomical library was essential to support the work of the Observatory. Yet for the first century and a half there was no permanent library on the site. Instead, Astronomers Royal had to rely on their own – often substantial – private collections.

John Russell. Nevil Maskelyne, fifth Astronomer Royal. Pastel on paper, 1800-02. Collections ID: ZBA5100.

The astronomical and mathematical library of Nevil Maskelyne, the fifth Astronomer Royal, was particularly notable. Following his death, it was sold at auction by Leigh and Sotheby on 27-29 May 1811. An annotated copy of the sale catalogue notes that the three-day sale of 757 lots raised £451 18s. 6d. Adjusted for inflation, that amounts to £31,853.94 today.

Records from the RGO Archives in Cambridge show that Maskelyne’s successor, John Pond, was able to acquire some of the books in the sale. This began the process of establishing a permanent library at the Observatory. Over the next few years some £700 (more than £57,000 today) was spent acquiring books from various sources.

By 1827 the collection had grown large enough that a printed catalogue was produced. As well as copies of Greenwich publications such as the Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Observations, it included works by several notables including Claudius Ptolemy, Sir Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, and Giovanni Domenico Cassini. Intriguingly, there also appears to have been a 1683 catalogue of books belonging to the library of Flamsteed.

Black and white sketch of the Astronomer RoyalnSir George Biddell Airy by James Henry Lynch. Lithograph, 1850. Collection ID: ZBA0662.

A decade later the library’s reputation had acquired an international dimension. In 1839 John Quincy Adams, former president of the United States and early patron of American astronomy, wrote to Pond’s successor Sir George Biddell Airy.

Adams was a supporter of the newly established Harvard Observatory and wrote to Airy enquiring about the condition of the Royal Observatory. Airy responded, providing some insight into the early library:

There is a Library, covering the walls of a room twenty feet square. It consists principally of the Transactions of Societies, and of mathematical and astronomical works, works on the literature of astronomy, Voyages, &c. In these respects it is a very good library; it has been collected partly at the expense of government, and partly from the presents of private persons and official bodies.

How 'representing the present state of science' became a 'serious inconvenience'

In the following decades materials remained broadly similar in scope, comprising principally of meteorological observations and academic transactions – regarded by Airy as essential for preservation as the 'ultimate reference'. However, Airy was keen that the library reflected the latest scientific developments as well. In the 1877 report to the Observatory’s Board of Visitors he declared that

I regard it as desirable for various reasons, (among which is, the instruction of all persons scientifically connected with the Observatory,) that for all subjects bearing upon the operations of the Observatory, the Library should be kept up to a condition well representing the present state of science.

To keep pace with the expanding work of the Observatory the 'very good library' had grown at a rapid rate. Towards the end of Airy's tenure the library seemed to have taken on a life of its own. The 1878 report makes the mounting problems around storage space clear:

The books are at present too much scattered in four different rooms, and the pressure on the shelves is becoming too great.

Although the library had grown to a size of 7,400 volumes (not including pamphlets) it was, nonetheless, maintained to a high standard of organisation. Airy reported an arrangement according to various subjects including Transactions (2,200 volumes), Astronomy (1,120), Ephemerides (700), Meteorology (650), Observations (630), Mathematics (520), Physics (430), Geodesy (330), and Magnetism (100).

Some areas of study grew much faster than others, perhaps reflecting the speed of developments in their fields. Airy observed in the 1880 report that ‘Photography and Spectroscopy increase very fast; and Meteorology the most rapidly of all’. All of this proved to be rather overwhelming and the following year Airy had grown increasingly exasperated with the lack of sufficient space:

The increase in the number of books has caused serious inconvenience, through the pressure on our present limited space; and a more commodious library is urgently needed.

Such limitations had an adverse effect on the organisation of the books:

It has […] not been possible to find room for all the books in due sequence on the shelves and they have been temporarily arranged as well as the space at our disposal permits.

Action was taken to reduce the pressure:

We have many duplicates […] which it will be necessary to banish from the library.

Location, location, location

Fortunately, by the time of the 1881 report, Airy was able to convince the Admiralty of the inadequacy of the library facilities and construction of a new building was authorised. The New Library Building was completed in June 1882.

By this time Airy’s successor William Christie was firmly in place. He reported that volumes under the subjects of Magnetism, Meteorology, Electricity, Statistics, Voyages, and General Literature were transferred to the New Library. Those relating to Astronomy, Observations, Ephemerides and Transactions remained in the old library rooms of the Meridian building. Space was freed up by presenting some duplicates to the Hong Kong Observatory.

Unfortunately, despite the expanded accommodations, the Observatory was soon struggling to meet the needs of the ever-growing library. Within twenty years the shelves were again reported to be 'very crowded, the available space being quite inadequate to meet the constant increase in the number of books.'

A new home was needed.

New Physical Observatory, Greenwich. Collection ID: P39986.

In 1899 the New Physical Building (today’s South Building) was completed. This created the opportunity to unite the Observatory’s entire library and manuscript collections in one location for the first time in half a century.

The library occupied the ground floor of the north, east and west wings. The west wing was home to the astronomical works. Transactions and periodicals were contained in the north wing and the east was dedicated to Electricity, Magnetism, and Meteorology.

All the books were transferred to the site by March 1900 and remained there for the next 50 years. Some effort was made to provide some state-of-the-art library facilities, as the library was furnished with Lucy & Co’s patent adjustable book-stacks to provide sufficient shelf space.

During this time Henry Outhwaite acted as the librarian. Improvements to the organisation of the library were accorded a measure of priority between 1901 and 1903 when Edward Walter Maunder, an Assistant to the Astronomer Royal, was given the additional responsibility for devising a new 'much needed' catalogue:

The new catalogue is in card form, and will be in duplicate, one card catalogue arranged according to the order of the books on the shelves, and the other in alphabetical order of authors’ names

Since the mid-19th century the Observatory's annual reports named the person responsible for the maintenance of the library and manuscripts. The responsibility was often combined with other duties, so there doesn't appear to have been a formalised librarian role.

Observatory staff that were tasked with managing the library before Outhwaite's time include James Carpenter, whose 'office-time is wholly engrossed with attention to the Library, and the Manuscripts'; Edwin Dunkin; George Criswick, who had drawn up some new rules for library users; A.M.W. Downing, who had the use of an mathematical assistant known as a 'supernumerary computer' to help maintain the library; and William Grassett Thackeray.

Print of Henry Outhwaite, secretary of the Royal Observatory by E.J. Adams. RMG ID: REG18/000454.19.

From Observatory to museum library

When the scientific work of the Royal Observatory began to be relocated to Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex after the Second World War, the library collections naturally followed. By 1957 the move was complete and the National Maritime Museum assumed responsibility for the management of the vacated Greenwich site.

In 1990 the Observatory moved again, this time to Cambridge. Its time there was short-lived, however, and the Observatory was wound down in 1998. The RGO Archive was transferred to the University of Cambridge. What remained of the library found its way back to Greenwich, after being acquired by the National Maritime Museum.

The core of this collection comprises volumes published before 1882 and constitutes approximately 2,200 items. Known as the Airy Collection, these are believed to be the surviving items from what was in the Observatory's library during Airy's tenure as Astronomer Royal.

It contains some important works, which demonstrate the development of science through the centuries, as well as our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Below are some selected highlights.

Copernicus, Nicolas. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. Nuremberg: Johannes Petreius, 1543. RMG ID: PBG0220.

Published in Latin, On the revolutions of the heavenly spheres offered an alternative heliocentric model to Ptolemy's geocentric solar system. Copernicus put forward the theory that the Sun sits at the centre of the Solar System instead of the Earth. Although not a new idea, it did create some controversy.

Request me

Hevelius, Johannes. Selenographia. Danzig: Johannes Hevelius, 1647. RMG ID: PBG2055.

Selenographia is a landmark work featuring the first detailed map of the Moon from observations made by the mayor of Danzig (modern-day Gdansk), Johannes Hevelius. Hevelius had set out to improve Galileo's renderings of the Moon that were made some 40 years previously. Dedicated to Ladislaus IV of Poland, this copy is listed in the 1827 Observatory catalogue.

Request me

Flamsteed, John. Historiae coelestis. London, 1725. RMG ID: PBG0710/1-3.

Published posthumously, this three-volume work documents with unprecedented accuracy the positions of 3,000 stars. John Flamsteed was a perfectionist and declined to publish his work until it was finished. This caused tensions with the Royal Society, and in 1712 Halley published an unauthorised edition of Flamsteed’s findings totalling 400 copies. Flamsteed was able to recover 300 of these and, in 1715, burned them as a sacrifice to ‘Heavenly Truth’. The complete star catalogue was eventually published by his wife Margaret in two parts, the Historiae being the first.

Request me

Flamsteed, John. Atlas coelestis. London, 1729. RMG ID: PBG1429.

The second half of Flamsteed's great work. While the Historiae includes the numerical tables and explanatory text, the visually striking Atlas is composed of 28 star charts mapping the major constellations. It is the first and most comprehensive of its kind. The charts feature drawings made by Sir James Thornhill, the artist responsible for the execution of the Painted Hall at the Royal Hospital for Seamen.

Request me

Dunkin, Edwin. The midnight sky. London: Religious Tract Society, 1869. RMG ID: PBG3833.

Notes on the night sky seen from London. It includes 32 star maps and other illustrations by Edwin Dunkin, who worked at the Royal Observatory under Airy and was at one time responsible for its library. He was President of the Royal Astronomical Society 1884-1886. The frontispiece bears his signature.

Request me

Beyond Airy

While the Airy Collection forms the core of the Caird Library’s holdings on astronomy, there is much more to be found on the subject in the library’s collections, both rare and modern. This ensures that scientific developments in the field over the century and a half since Airy’s time are well represented.

Notable periodicals include Greenwich publications Nautical Almanac, begun under Nevil Maskelyne, and Astronomical Observations established under John Pond. The Caird Library holds copies for the years 1767-1994 and 1814-1955 respectively.

While the RGO Archives are with the University of Cambridge, we do have some manuscripts relating to Nevil Maskelyne and his family. In addition, we hold a substantial number of volumes on horology – as befits Greenwich as the home of time.

Like the old Observatory library, the Caird Library collections support the work of the institution in which it is based. An important distinction today, however, is that our collections and the staff who maintain them are available to curious minds – wherever they come from.

Blast off to the Caird Library and Archive

Explore the world's largest maritime library and archive

Join us

This month we investigate the history of the old library at the Royal Observatory and discover some of its astronomical treasures which are today in the Airy Collection of the Caird Library and Archive.

Night sky highlights - April 2026

Gideon Bendavid-Walker — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:52:11 +0000

Night sky highlights - April 2026 Gideon Bendavi… Mon, 03/30/2026 - 12:52

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in April 2026

22 April - try to spot the Lyrid meteor shower
13-20 April - celebrate International Dark Sky Week!
Throughout the month - spot Venus in the sky at dusk

See May 2026's highlights

The 'Pink' Easter Moon

Pink Moon © Giorgia Hofer | shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022

The full Moon takes centre stage at the start of the month. There are three full moons in astronomical spring, beginning with the full Moon on 2 April.

In some Native American traditions, April’s full moon is known as the 'pink moon', named after a seasonal wildflower rather than the Moon’s colour. In other cultures, this moon is called the 'sprouting grass moon', the 'egg moon', and the 'fish moon'.

The waltz of the Sun and Moon shapes the timing of one of the most celebrated holidays around the world this month: Easter. And with it, a guilt-free chocolate binge.

Easter’s timing is determined by a complex astronomical formula: it is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full Moon on or after the spring (vernal) equinox. This is known as the Paschal Moon, and connects a major religious holiday with lunar and solar cycles. This timing is aligned with the Jewish Passover, which is also determined by lunar phases.

This connection to the spring equinox is significant, as it reflects the ancient practice of tying festivals to natural celestial events. The full Moon itself has long been seen as a symbol of illumination and new beginnings, making it a fitting celestial cue for holidays centred on themes of renewal and rebirth.

April meteor showers

A Cosmic Firework: the Geminid Meteor Shower © Jakob Sahner – shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

April showers are arriving, and it’s not the rain we're excited about. The Lyrids are the first meteor shower we get to enjoy this year, with many more to come. They are active during the second half of April (16-25th) and peak on the night of the 22nd, 2 days before the first quarter Moon. The Moon will be around 37% illuminated, but thankfully won’t be bright enough to drown out the meteors.

While the Lyrids are not as magnificent as some other meteor showers, such as the Perseids in August, they are among the oldest, with recorded sightings dating back more than 2,700 years.

The Lyrids are named after the constellation Lyra, from which the meteors appear to emanate, but their parent object is the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which does a lap of the Sun once every 415 years. Expect to see about 18 meteors per hour, with some leaving behind bright trains of dust as they burn up in the atmosphere.

For the best views, head out after midnight. To find the radiant point in Lyra, spot the bright white star Vega, which climbs well clear of the eastern horizon by this time. The higher it rises, the more meteors you'll catch. Just don't push it too close to dawn, or the brightening sky will steal the show.

As for how to watch: lie on the ground, fill your entire view with sky, and wait. A blanket is optional, though we'd strongly recommend it. And don't be fooled by the approaching summer; spring nights are still cold, so wrap up.

Finally, keep an eye out from 19 April onwards for the first hints of the Eta Aquariids, a stronger shower emanating from the Aquarius constellation that overlaps with the Lyrids and builds toward its own peak on May 5.

Venus and Mercury

Phases of Mercury © Martin Strangl - shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

Turning our gaze inward toward the Sun, our rocky inner neighbours Venus and Mercury put on a fine show this month. On 3 April, Mercury will be at its greatest elongation - a point in its orbit where it’s farthest from the Sun, and so less prone to being washed out by the Sun’s glare. You’ll have a good chance of observing the smallest planet in the Solar System just before sunrise in the eastern sky.

Venus, the brightest planet in the sky, returns to the western evening sky and climbs higher as the month progresses. Look to the west on 19 April to see Venus about 4 degrees, or about the width of 3 fingers, south of the Pleiades star cluster.

On the 19th, the Moon will be at perigee, meaning it’s closest to the Earth in its orbit, which occurs approximately once a month. In the evening, the very thin waxing crescent Moon will be positioned a few degrees north of the Pleiades star cluster, with Venus and Uranus clustering nearby.

Collisions, crows and sombreros

Corvus the crow and surrounding constellations | Constellation card by Sidney Hall from the Royal Museums Greenwich collection

Looking southwards after sunset, we find the constellation Corvus, the crow. It is certainly a test of the imagination to trace a crow out of the four bright stars of Corvus, which form a quadrilateral. It's more suggestive of a tent, as Arab astronomers described it, or the sail of a ship in old nautical tradition.

We can navigate our way to it with the technique of star-hopping. Starting at the handle of the Plough/Big Dipper, which can be found high in the north-eastern sky, trace an arc eastwards to find the bright, orange star Arcturus in Boötes. Continue southwards to locate the blue-white star Spica in Virgo. From Spica, scan southwest (down and to the right) to locate the quadrilateral shape of Corvus.

Star hopping to Corvus on April evenings

Located to the right of the quadrilateral shape of Corvus sits one of the most dramatic scenes in the Universe - the Antennae Galaxies. These are a pair of colliding galaxies located around 66 million light years away. The merger is triggering a massive starburst phase as gas clouds collide, creating billions of new stars. A larger telescope is needed to appreciate this object, as it is about 100 times too dim for the naked eye.

The Antennae Galaxies Extreme Deep Field © Rolf Olsen, shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2015

The reason astronomers find this object so fascinating is personal. The Antennae Galaxies show a likely future of the Milky Way and our next-door neighbour, the Andromeda Galaxy, when the two eventually collide. So we may essentially be looking at a slow-motion rehearsal of our own galaxy's fate.

Another, albeit less scientific reason, to love Corvus is that a small, otherwise unremarkable star in this constellation called LHS-2520, 27 light-years away, was chosen by Neil deGrasse Tyson in 2012 as the location of Krypton, Superman's home planet. DC Comics asked Tyson to pick a real star that Krypton could plausibly orbit, and he chose this one. So officially, in DC canon, Superman is from Corvus the crow.

Sandwiched between Corvus and the star Spica is the Sombrero Galaxy, boasting a bright spiral structure, a white bulbous core hosting a supermassive black hole one billion times the mass of the Sun, and an edge-on orientation revealing thick dust lanes where new stars are forming.

At a distance of 30 million light years away, it is below naked eye visibility at magnitude 8, but a small telescope will provide a good view.

The Inner Dust Lanes of M104 (Sombrero Galaxy) © Kevin Morefield - shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

Chances of aurora

Heart of the Aurora © Darren Flinders - shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025. Learn more about this image.

This month, the mesmerising display of the Northern Lights may return to our skies. In spring, there is a greater chance of seeing the Northern Lights, largely due to something called the Russell-McPherron effect. This occurs around the spring equinox, when the alignment between the Sun and the Earth creates conditions that roughly double your chances of seeing the aurora.

The Sun has been in a heightened state of activity over the past couple of years. While the peak of its current 11-year cycle was confirmed by NASA back in October 2024, the heightened number of sunspots and activity led to more frequent eruptions of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, producing some extraordinary aurora displays across Britain.

Solar activity is forecast to remain high enough through 2026 that major events remain very much on the cards. It only takes one well-aimed solar flare or coronal mass ejection to light up our skies.

Annie Maunder was an astronomer, astrophotographer and science communicator who made pioneering contributions to solar research and imaging while working at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. She was the first to show how sunspots move from the Sun's poles towards its equator during the 11-year cycle, producing the influential ‘Butterfly Diagram’ that would transform our understanding of the Sun and help us predict solar activity to this day. Annie Maunder was born on 14th April 1868, so this month she would be celebrating her 158th birthday.

Celebrating darkness

International Dark Sky Week falls between April 13 and April 20 this year, during the week of the new Moon, when the night sky is darkest. This annual, worldwide event draws attention to light pollution and promotes solutions to mitigate the issue. It is also a time to celebrate the awe-inspiring beauty of the night sky and our deep, enduring, but threatened connection to it.

The issue of light pollution doesn’t just upset astronomers and stargazers; it has wide-ranging negative effects on human health, animal activities and energy usage. So Dark Sky Week is a great time to get together with friends and family and enjoy the darkness, as well as spreading the word about the importance of protecting our night environment.

Southern Hemisphere stargazing

Run to Carina © Vikas Chander - shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

Born to be wild - the Carina Nebula

Last month, we marvelled at Omega Centauri as a possible refugee from an ancient galaxy. This month, we turn to one of the most dramatic objects in the entire southern sky - the star Eta Carinae and the surrounding Carina Nebula.

The Carina Nebula sits within a region dominated by three prominent diamond-shaped asterisms: the Southern Cross, the False Cross and the Diamond Cross. To find it, trace a line from Crux along the bright, hazy band of the Milky Way, towards the False Cross. You will find Eta Carinae sitting roughly halfway along - appearing to the naked eye as a faint grey smudge with a bright star at its heart.

The Carina Nebula appears as a faint grey smudge with a bright star at its heart surrounded by three cross-shaped asterisms. Image credit: Gideon Bendavid-Walker, Harel Boren

That bright star is Eta Carinae itself, an ageing binary star system that radiates around five million times more energy than the Sun. Combined with other extraordinarily luminous nearby stars, it illuminates the surrounding gas and dust spectacularly, most famously captured in the James Webb Space Telescope's breathtaking 'Cosmic Cliffs' image.

In 1843, observers across the Southern Hemisphere watched in astonishment as Eta Carinae briefly became the second brightest star in the entire night sky, surpassed only by Sirius, before gradually fading below naked-eye visibility over the following decade.

This event, known as the Great Eruption, released nearly as much energy as a supernova explosion, and yet the star survived. Around 10% of its mass was expelled into space, forming a dense, double-lobed cloud of gas that still surrounds the star today. Astronomers call it the Homunculus Nebula, from the Latin for 'little man'.

The Homunculus Nebula, a cloud of gas formed during the Great Eruption of 1843, surrounding the star Eta Carinae. Credit ESA/Hubble

What caused it remains one of astronomy's unsolved mysteries. What we do know is that Eta Carinae is still in the final, unstable chapter of its life, quietly ticking towards an eventual supernova, so it’s worth keeping an eye on it.

The Moon's phases in April 2026

Mineral Moon © Daniele Borsari - shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024's Young category

Full Moon - 2nd April (03:12)
Last quarter - 10 April (05:51)
New moon - 17 April (12:51)
First quarter - 24 April (03:31)

Stargazing tips

When looking at faint objects such as stars, nebulae, the Milky Way and other galaxies, it is important to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark so that you can achieve better night vision.

Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to become sensitive in the dark, and remember not to look at your mobile phone or any other bright device when stargazing.

If you're using a stargazing app on your phone, switch on the red night vision mode.

Night Sky Highlights - March 2026

Jessica Lee — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 14:17:21 +0000

Night Sky Highlights - March 2026 Jessica Lee Sun, 03/01/2026 - 14:17

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in March 2026

8 March - check out the close conjunction of Venus and Saturn
Throughout the month - try to spot some zodiacal light
This month and next - attempt the 'Messier Marathon'

See April's highlights

See March's full Moon

The Last Mineral Supermoon of 2024 © Karthik Easvur - shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025

The full Moon on 3 March is the last full moon of winter, popularly known as the ‘worm moon’. The name originates from Native American culture, and comes from the worm trails that would appear in the newly thawed ground.

Other names for March's full moon include ‘chaste moon’, ‘death moon’, ‘crust moon’ and ‘sap moon’, after the tapping of maple trees.

On 3 March, about 30% of the world's population should be able to see a total lunar eclipse, which is visible from Asia, Australia, and North America. During this event the Moon will turn blood red as it moves through Earth’s shadow, with the red hue caused by sunlight being bent through Earth’s atmosphere.

This is one of the year’s most dramatic sights for viewers in those areas, with totality lasting for around 58 minutes.

The planets in March

Venus Near and Far © Ken Lo - shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

On March 8 we will see a conjunction of Venus and Saturn. Bright Venus will be very close to the dimmer Saturn very low in the sky after sunset. However, the pair will be quite challenging to spot together as they may be obscured by the Sun’s glare.

To have the best view of this conjunction you’ll need a clear view to the western horizon free of obstructions.

The spring equinox

Each year we see the Sun cross the celestial equator, moving northwards in our skies. This is the vernal (spring) equinox, and at this time the Sun rises precisely in the east and sets precisely in the west.

Changes in the length of day and night are caused by the tilt of the Earth. When Earth orbits the Sun, at certain times of the year the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun and the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from it. For the other half of the year, the reverse happens.

Equinoxes happen when neither hemisphere is tilted towards or away from the Sun and there are roughly equal hours of daylight and darkness. Solstices, on the other hand, happen when a specific hemisphere is tilted towards or away from the Sun, which results in long days or long nights.

The spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere will occur on 20 March, and this is when astronomical spring is said to start. In the Southern Hemisphere March 20 is the autumnal equinox.

I visited Peru and Machu Picchu recently, and you can see how astronomy was thoroughly interwoven throughout many facets of Inca society.

The Inca didn’t appear out of thin, crisp Andean air. Their civilisation rose on foundations laid by earlier cultures like the Huari and the Nasca, absorbing ideas, architecture, and cosmology along the way.

The Emperor, Pachacuti, made solar worship the official religion and imposed it across the territory, maintaining that he was the son of the Sun. His divine lineage wasn’t left to abstraction. Demonstrations of that genealogical link occurred during public festivals when the Sun rose on the horizon at significant times of the solar cycle - equinoxes and solstices. A prominent annual celebration included Inti Raymi at the March equinox. Archaeologists found that about a quarter of all shrines to the Sun (‘huacas’- Quechua) were oriented towards sunrise and sunset on the equinox.

One example of the Inca connection to equinoxes is the Intihuatana at Machu Picchu - a four-sided stone with each point representing the north, south, east and west. The Sun sits directly above the stone on the two equinoxes, casting no shadow at all.

Andean tradition links the equinoxes with fertility, and around March crops like maize are harvested.

Spring Triangle

Now it’s time to connect the dots and find the Greeks' favourite shape, the Spring Triangle.

You can connect the stars Spica (within Virgo), Denebola (within Leo) and Arcturus (within Boötes) to find the small spring triangle.

You can also make a larger spring triangle by using the star Regulus, the heart of the lion and the brightest star in Leo, rather than Denebola.

This asterism is visible higher in the sky increasingly sooner after sunset as March progresses, so you don’t have to lose much sleep to see this.

The tip of the Spring Triangle will point you towards the constellation of Cancer, and if you keep gazing westwards you will find Jupiter. Jupiter is very hard to miss at this time as it's sandwiched between the Gemini twins, Castor and Pollux.

Just south of Gemini and Cancer you’ll find Canis Minor, the 'little dog'. It’s made of just two stars: Procyon in the backside of the dog and Gomeisa at the head.

Procyon is a double star system composed of one white main sequence star in orbit with a dwarf star companion.

Binary stars are very common. In fact, the Great Equatorial Telescope here at the Royal Observatory was tasked with observing and measuring binary star systems, partly because they are so common but mostly because they are useful for measuring properties of stars.

Zodiacal light

Image credit - Gideon Bendavid-Walker

We’re entering the best time of year to see the zodiacal light – or false dusk – in a dark evening sky. This eerie cone of light can be found in the west, just as evening twilight draws to a close.

Or, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, look for it in the coming months in the east before twilight begins at dawn.

The light is easiest to see (for all of Earth) around the equinoxes. We would recommend heading to a dark sky area whenever you’ve got a moon-free sky.

For many years, the zodiacal light was thought to be an atmospheric phenomenon - a faint glow produced in Earth’s upper atmosphere after sunset or before sunrise.

Today we understand the zodiacal light to be caused by sunlight scattering off a broad cloud of dust particles orbiting the Sun in the inner Solar System. Under dark skies, this dust appears as a soft triangular glow extending along the ecliptic - the orbital plane in the sky of the Sun and planets.

Astronomers assumed that these particles were primarily leftover material from the formation of the Solar System around 4.5 billion years ago. More recently, there has been discussion about their possible origin in dust storms on the planet Mars.

A great way to see the zodiacal light is to go to a dark sky area. For example, this month the Elan Dark Sky Festival in the Elan Valley in Wales is kicking off for the first time after the area was granted silver-tier status by the International Dark Sky Association.

Messier Marathon

M44 - The Beehive Cluster © Weitang Liang, Qi Yang - shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025

Charles Messier was a French astronomer and comet hunter. In his search for comets, which he did with his friend and assistant Pierre Mechain from downtown Paris (when you could actually see the night sky from a city), he observed 110 fixed fuzzy objects in the sky and then named them all after himself.

You might be familiar with the Orion Nebula (Messier 42 or M42) and the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31 or M31).

The 'Messier Marathon' is an attempt by astronomers to observe all of the Messier objects in one night, with a small viewing window in March and early April. Because the Sun moves between Pisces and Aquarius during this time and no Messier objects are in this area, marathoners can observe all 110 objects between sundown and sunrise.

Observers can attempt the Messier Marathon from most northern latitudes. As Messier compiled the original catalogue from a northern latitude, not all of the Messier objects are visible from the Southern Hemisphere. In particular, M81, M82, M52 and M103 make Southern Hemisphere Messier Marathons difficult, because they are all located at a declination of 60° north or greater.

Some regions of the night sky host many Messier objects. Sagittarius, for example, is home to 15 objects - the most of any constellation. The ideal time to participate in a Messier Marathon is during a new moon or on the weekends closest to a new moon, from mid-March to early April.

Some cool things to look at include Messier 87 in Virgo, and M44, the Beehive Cluster (pictured above).

Southern Hemisphere stargazing: Poutūterangi

Omega Centauri © Ignacio Diaz Bobillo, shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013

The tenth lunar month of the Māori year, Poutūterangi, is approximately equivalent to March. Its name corresponds to Altair, the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila, whose appearance in the night sky heralds the start of the month. Other groups describe Fomalhaut in Pisces as the star of the lunar month of Poutūterangi.

Poutūterangi is also known as the harvest season, an important time for storing food for the coming colder months.

The Maori calendar tradition is a holistic one, and there are other signs of this changing month in nature, such as signs in the water when, during this period, eels start to migrate to the sea.

The Southern Cross or ‘Crux’ will be rising higher over the night. Crux is the smallest of the 88 constellations, made up of 5 stars.

Following the Greek alphabet in order of brightness, the stars are called Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and little Epsilon Crux. Epsilon Crux was left out of the New Zealand flag but Australia, Samoa, Brazil, and Papua New Guinea decided to keep it.

Rising high close to Crux is one of the most magnificent objects in the night sky - Omega Centauri - visible to the naked eye using averted vision and quite easy to find using Crux. Draw a line from Alpha to Delta Crux and keep going until you reach the next brighter star Delta Centauri. You can then draw a line to Gamma Centauri and extend the line roughly the same distance to find Omega Centauri.

Omega Centauri is the most massive globular cluster in our galaxy, a densely packed, roughly spherical gravitationally bound swarm of roughly 10 million stars.

Generally, the stars of globular clusters tend to share a common age and chemical composition, reflecting a single, early burst of star formation. However, studies of Omega Centauri reveal that it has different stellar populations that formed at varying periods of time. There may even be an intermediate mass black hole at its centre.

These features have led astronomers to question whether Omega Centauri is truly a globular cluster at all. One leading hypothesis is that it represents the stripped core of a small galaxy that was absorbed by the Milky Way billions of years ago. If so, what we see today could be the remnant of an ancient galactic merger.

The Moon's phases in March 2026

Moonrise Over Villebois-Lavalette © Flavien Beauvais - shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025

Full moon - 3 March (11:37)

Last quarter - 11 March (09:38)

New moon - 19 March (01:23)

First quarter - 25 March (19:17)

Stargazing tips

When looking at faint objects such as stars, nebulae, the Milky Way and other galaxies, it is important to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark so that you can achieve better night vision.
Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to become sensitive in the dark and remember not to look at your mobile phone or any other bright device when stargazing.
If you're using a star app on your phone, switch on the red night vision mode.

More space and astronomy

Night sky highlights - April 2026

April’s night sky brings a rich mix of sights, from the inner rocky planets Venus and Mercury to meteor showers and even distant colliding galaxies.

Space and astronomy highlights in 2026

What should you keep your eyes on the skies for in 2026? Discover this year's standout moments with Royal Observatory astronomers

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 winners

The winning images in the world's biggest space photography competition have been revealed

Astronomy with the naked eye

Learn what you could see in the night sky with no equipment from the Royal Observatory Greenwich; from galaxies and meteor showers to comets, star clusters, cloud formations and more

Full Moon calendar 2026

Check the dates for every full Moon throughout the year, learn about the Moon's phases, 'supermoons' and more

Meteor shower guide 2026

Want to see shooting stars? Check the key dates for major meteor showers in the UK in 2026, and how to see them in the night sky

Artemis Programme: what you need to know about NASA’s Moon missions

NASA's Artemis missions aim to land humans on the Moon again, create a lunar base, and lay the groundwork for a future trip to Mars

15 awe-inspiring astronomy discoveries

Discover 15 incredible astronomy facts that might just change how you see the Universe

Header Image: Moonrise Over Sunset Crater © Matthew Chatham – shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025

Discover what to see in March, from the last full moon of winter to a conjunction of Venus and Saturn.

Writing by the Astronomy Ambassadors Group

Jessica Lee — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:41:24 +0000

Writing by the Astronomy Ambassadors Group Jessica Lee Thu, 02/26/2026 - 13:41

These fascinating articles covering different topics within astronomy were researched and written by members of the Astronomy Ambassadors Group in February 2026.

Astronomy Ambassadors is a place for young people (between 16 and 21 years old) to get a taste of the work we do at the Royal Observatory and explore their passion for astronomy, space science or science communication. If you're interested in joining this group yourself, please click here for more information.

We hope you enjoy their work!

The smells of space

By Sharvari

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Adam Ginsburg (University of Florida), Nazar Budaiev (University of Florida), Taehwa Yoo (University of Florida); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

‘Space is a vacuum’ is something you’ve probably heard before, but this isn’t true. Beyond our planet, and indeed beyond our solar system, there is no shortage of matter floating around. For decades astronomers have been attempting to determine the exact chemical makeup of gas clouds which are tens of thousands of light years away from us (incredibly far away). How do they manage this, you might ask?

A technique called spectroscopy is used to determine their compositions. This involves looking at these regions in space through telescopes (which can make observations in radio waves, visible light or any other window of the electromagnetic spectrum) and analysing what type of light we are looking at. This works because different chemical compounds absorb different wavelengths of light. From this, we have discovered something unprecedentedly sweet.

Towards the centre of the Milky Way is a relatively dense region in which lots of star formation occurs. This region is called Sagittarius B2, and contains a large amount of esters (compounds containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen). A particularly abundant ester whose chemical fingerprint we found was ethyl formate – the compound responsible for the smell of raspberries. That’s right, the centre of our galaxy most probably smells of raspberries.

There are a number of other exciting astronomical aromas which astronomers are finding evidence for This includes a less-enticing smell of rotten eggs produced by sulphur present on Comet 67P, evidence for which was gathered during the Philae lander’s investigations on its surface in 2014. Other locations supposedly smell of almonds due to the presence of benzonitrile, found in another interstellar star-forming region named the Taurus Cloud.

With ongoing discoveries proving that space is by no means a barren wasteland, and instead a splendid sensory spread for us to explore, there’s no knowing what new celestial mysteries we have left to unearth!

Doubling down on gravitational lenses

By Nafim

ESA/Hubble and NASA

A single black hole, several times the mass of the Sun, can bend light by reshaping the fabric of space-time around it, in a process known as gravitational lensing - a direct consequence of the immense gravitational pull of massive astronomical objects. This phenomenon can be observed by the altering of light along this warped 'fabric'. For the effect to be detected, the light must be coming from a background star which is directly aligned with the line of sight of the black hole.

To make matters more interesting, the same event can be seen within a binary black hole system. Treating a black hole as a lens, think of a binary black hole as two rotating lenses, orbiting a common centre of mass. The result is a diamond-shape zone of quasi-periodic lensing events called the 'caustic curve'. To put this in terms that feel less overwhelming, a binary black hole essentially creates a region of space where any background star will appear to flash periodically, in sync with the orbital period of the said binary black hole. This happens every time the caustic curve passes by a bright star.

Fundamentally, caustic curves generate repeating bursts of starlight. These provide a clear and distinctive signature that can then be used to locate and identify binary black hole systems elsewhere in the Universe.

Ionic plasma thrusters

By Aadi

Credit: QinetiQ

You may be wondering what an ionic plasma thruster is, how it can help us as a society, and more importantly, how the development of these thrusters would change our daily lives.

Well, a typical rocket launch releases 200 to 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide, and the largest rockets release tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide with each launch. This is obviously a massive problem; with our desire to increase space travel and expand to other planets, we don’t want to pollute our own planet and dig our grave while trying to climb out.

Well, ionic plasma thrusters are a form of electric propulsion that converts electric energy into mechanical energy using electrostatic or electromagnetic fields to accelerate gases, ionising them and accelerating them, providing thrust. The fact of the matter is that they do not need carbon-based fuel. So why don’t we use them already?

A Falcon 9 engine produces around 845,000 newtons of thrust, whereas an ionic plasma thruster releases 25-250 millinewtons of force. This means it is not useful for short, fast flights like launching satellites into orbit around Earth. However, it has many uses in long-term missions, as it could possibly allow spacecrafts to use solar energy and the gases of passing planets’ atmospheres to refuel and travel further on long missions.

Previously, ionic plasma thrusters have been used by the Dawn spacecraft to travel to and orbit Vesta and Ceres, two massive objects in the asteroid belt. They have also been used by BepiColombo to reach Mercury using xenon gas accelerated to 50,000 metres per second, producing 290 millinewtons of thrust. It was extremely useful for the 7-year flight and worked for an extended period of time.

In conclusion, ion thrusters can very much be the future of space travel, as they allow us to reduce the carbon footprint of space travel, and allow us to reach places not achievable with current liquid-based fuel systems that require large fuel stocks.

Explore some interesting space science, written by our Astronomy Ambassadors Group.

Night Sky Highlights - February 2026

Jessica Lee — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:19:59 +0000

Night Sky Highlights - February 2026 Jessica Lee Thu, 01/29/2026 - 15:19

By Ramya (Work Experience student) and the Astronomy team

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in February 2026:

Early in the month - Catch your last glimpse of Saturn for a while
Throughout the month - See Orion the hunter
26 and 27 February - Spot Jupiter next to the Moon
See March's highlights

Orion the hunter

Winter White Tiger © Tianwei Wang, shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the constellation of Orion (the hunter) will be clearly visible in the south-east shortly after sunset, gradually moving towards the south as the month progresses.

In Greek mythology, Orion was an extremely skilled hunter who, due to his own prowess, became arrogant and boasted that he could kill any animal. Mother Earth, angry due to his boasts, sent a scorpion to kill him.

However, Zeus, king of the Greek gods, greatly admired Orion’s strength and sent him to the sky to save him. The scorpion also pursued him to the sky, but Zeus placed it on the other side of the sky to avoid conflict, where it is represented by the constellation Scorpius.

Orion and Scorpius lie on opposite sides of the sky, meaning they are never prominent in the night sky at the same time. When Orion is visible in the evening, Scorpius is below the horizon or too close to the Sun to be seen.

Scorpius is a summer constellation, so it will not be visible in February, but it can be seen in the evening sky during July and August.

The Pleiades star cluster

M45: the Pleiades and the Merope Nebula © Jakob Sahner, shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

Another well-known celestial object to look out for in February is the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. Located in the constellation Taurus, they are visible shortly after sunset, appearing high in the south to south-western sky early in the month and lower toward the south-west later on.

As February progresses, the Pleiades set earlier in the night, a couple of hours after midnight. Although only seven of these stars are visible to the naked eye, there are over 1,000 stars in total in the cluster. To see these best, you can use a small telescope or a good pair of binoculars.

The seven brightest stars of the Pleiades feature in mythological traditions around the world. In Greek mythology, they are the daughters of the Titan Atlas and the sea nymph Pleione, with each star named after one of the sisters. Similar stories appear in many Aboriginal Australian cultures, where the Seven Sisters escape into the sky while being pursued by a male figure. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the cluster is known as Matariki, and its heliacal rising (rising with the Sun) in mid-winter marks the Māori New Year.

The Pegasus Cluster and Andromeda Galaxy

Andromeda Galaxy at Arm's Length © Nicolas Lefaudeux, winner of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2020

Readers in the Northern Hemisphere will also be able to see the Pegasus Cluster, also known as M15, in the west. M15 is one of the oldest and densest known globular clusters, and is a whopping 12.5 billion years old!

It can be viewed on clearer nights through a pair of powerful binoculars or a small telescope. It will, however, only be visible above the horizon shortly after sunset in the first part of the month. As you may expect, it's located in the constellation of Pegasus.

To the north of the constellation of Pegasus lies the constellation Andromeda, which is visible throughout the month. In this constellation, you can find the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the nearest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way.

On clear, dark nights it can be seen faintly with the naked eye as a hazy patch of light, while binoculars or a small telescope reveal its bright core and extended glow.

Planets in February 2026

Saturn (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)

And, of course, we cannot forget the planets of our own Solar System! Saturn will be visible to the naked eye in the first part of the month for the first part of the night in the south-west, although it may be a bit hard to spot as it will be quite low in the sky, appearing close to the Sun.

Once it drops from view, the planet won't be visible again until it appears in the pre-dawn sky around the start of June.

Jupiter will also be visible as an especially bright spot in the sky, positioned between the two figures in the constellation of Gemini rising in the east. It will gradually move southward as the month and the night go on, and it will be visible throughout the month. On 26 and 27 February, Jupiter will be close to the bright waxing gibbous Moon, making it even easier to locate.

The ice giants Uranus and Neptune are also above the horizon in the early evening. Uranus is in Taurus in the south and Neptune very close to Saturn in the southwest. However, these two beautiful blue worlds are too faint to be seen with the naked eye, and so require a pair of powerful binoculars or a telescope to view them in their full glory. You can also view Jupiter and Saturn in this way, to spot Saturn’s beautiful rings or Jupiter’s largest moons, the Galilean moons.

Southern Hemisphere highlights

Nebulae of the Large Magellanic Cloud © Jonathan Lodge, shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

For viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, many other interesting celestial features will be visible shortly after sundown.

This includes the Small Magellanic Cloud in the south-west, which will be moving in a circular anti-clockwise movement around the south celestial pole throughout the night. This makes it an amazing target for skywatchers as it will be visible quite easily throughout the month.

The Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf irregular galaxy and is a ‘satellite’ galaxy of our Milky Way, meaning it is quite close to us at only 200,000 light years away. It is one of the closest galaxies to our Solar System.

Those in the Southern Hemisphere will also be able to see Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, located in the constellation Canis Major. It can be best viewed at around midnight, when it will be high in the sky in the north.

Sirius is actually a binary star system, made up of the main bright star Sirius A and its tiny, faint white dwarf companion Sirius B. Those viewing from the Northern Hemisphere can see it in the south, however it may be harder to spot as it will be quite close to the horizon.

The Moon's phases in February 2026

Over the South Pole Region © Lóránd Fényes, shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025

Full moon - 1 February (22:09)

Last quarter - 9 February (12:43)

New moon - 17 February (12:01)

First quarter - 24 February (12:27)

Stargazing tips

When looking at faint objects such as stars, nebulae, the Milky Way and other galaxies, it is important to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark so that you can achieve better night vision.
Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to become sensitive in the dark and remember not to look at your mobile phone or any other bright device when stargazing.
If you're using a star app on your phone, switch on the red night vision mode.

More space and astronomy

Night Sky Highlights - March 2026

Discover what to see in March, from the last full moon of winter to a conjunction of Venus and Saturn.

Space and astronomy highlights in 2026

What should you keep your eyes on the skies for in 2026? Discover this year's standout moments with Royal Observatory astronomers

Artemis Programme: what you need to know about NASA’s Moon missions

NASA's Artemis missions aim to land humans on the Moon again, create a lunar base, and lay the groundwork for a future trip to Mars

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 winners

The winning images in the world's biggest space photography competition have been revealed

Astronomy with the naked eye

Learn what you could see in the night sky with no equipment from the Royal Observatory Greenwich; from galaxies and meteor showers to comets, star clusters, cloud formations and more

What are the Pleiades?

Take a closer look at the Pleiades, an extremely hot cluster of young stars. Also known as the 'Seven Sisters' or M45, this stellar family has been the subject of numerous myths in cultures worldwide

Full Moon calendar 2026

Check the dates for every full Moon throughout the year, learn about the Moon's phases, 'supermoons' and more

Meteor shower guide 2026

Want to see shooting stars? Check the key dates for major meteor showers in the UK in 2026, and how to see them in the night sky

Header Image: M45, the Seven Sisters: Sibling Rivalry © Timothy Martin – shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025

Explore what you can see in the night sky this February, including the Pleiades and the four biggest planets in our Solar System.

How to see the 12 August 2026 partial solar eclipse

Freya Richards — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:31:53 +0000

How to see the 12 August 2026 partial solar eclipse Freya Richards Tue, 12/23/2025 - 15:31

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, resulting in the Sun’s light being blocked either partially or fully for viewers in certain locations on Earth.

On Wednesday 12 August 2026, people in the UK and Ireland will see a partial solar eclipse, when around 90% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon.

Viewers across swathes of Europe including France, Belgium, Switzerland and northern regions of Italy will also be able to see around 88-95% coverage, while spectators in parts of Greenland, Iceland and Northern Spain will see a total eclipse.

This will be the most coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 solar eclipse, which was total from most of Cornwall and Devon.

Find out all you need to know about the 12 August 2026 partial eclipse below.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich will be live streaming this special event! Sign up to our space newsletter to stay up to date about this and other exciting astronomy sights in 2026.

Jump to

What is a solar eclipse?
What will happen during the 12 August partial solar eclipse?
What time will the solar eclipse happen around the British Isles?
Where can I see a total solar eclipse on 12 August?
How to see the partial solar eclipse
When is the next total solar eclipse in the British Isles?
About the accompanying partial lunar eclipse

What is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Earth, Moon and Sun align. The Moon passes in front of the Sun and blocks its light, casting a small shadow on Earth.

The Annular Eclipse over Lahore © Roshaan Nadeem

Due to the relatively small size of the shadow, only the handful of countries that fall within the path of the eclipse will be able to experience it.

There are a few different types of solar eclipse: total, annular, hybrid and partial. Which one you see depends on how much of the Sun is covered from your location and how close the Moon is to Earth.

A total eclipse occurs when the Sun is fully covered by the Moon. An eclipse’s ‘path of totality’ is a track where viewers are fully in the Moon’s shadow and therefore see a total eclipse. For the 12 August eclipse, the path of totality falls over parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.

From the UK and Ireland on 12 August 2026 we’ll see a partial eclipse, where a portion of the Sun is covered by the Moon. However, it’ll be a particularly large portion at 90%, making this as close to a total eclipse as we’ve seen in almost 27 years from the British Isles.

What will happen during the 12 August solar eclipse?

The new Moon and the Sun will gradually move closer together in the sky in the late afternoon. As the side facing us will be dark, the Moon will be invisible without specialist equipment.

At 6.17pm from London (timings vary slightly from other parts of the UK and Ireland), ‘first contact’ will occur, when the Moon first covers part of the disk of the Sun.

The Moon will move slowly in front of the Sun until roughly 90% of the Sun is covered (the eclipse’s maximum). This will be at 7.12pm from London.

Diagram showing approximate coverage during the maximum from London on 12 August 2026

At the maximum, enough of the Sun will be covered to make a noticeable difference in the temperature and light levels. However, unlike with a total eclipse, the sky will not become dark – it will feel more like a cloudy day or close to dusk or dawn.

After the maximum, the Moon will then slowly move off the Sun’s disk until the eclipse ends, at 8.06pm from London.

The partial solar eclipse will take place as the Sun is setting, and the Sun and Moon will become increasingly low on the horizon as the eclipse goes on. Getting to a high point with a clear view of the western horizon will allow you to see the whole event.

Stellarium view of the maximum point of the eclipse from London, looking west, showing the Sun and Moon relatively low on the horizon. The Sun and Moon will be setting as the eclipse progresses.

As always with astronomy, we're at the mercy of the weather; there’s always the possibility that clouds could obscure part or all of the eclipse.

Eclipse timings around the UK

Exact timings of the 12 August solar eclipse will vary around the UK and Ireland. In general you’ll be able to see more coverage the further south-west you are.

For example, viewers in London will see 90% coverage, while viewers in Cornwall will see roughly 95%, and viewers in Pembrokeshire will see 94%. If you’re able to go to the south-western tip of Ireland, you might see almost 97.5% coverage.

Stage	Edinburgh and Glasgow	Galway and Dublin	Manchester and Liverpool	Norwich	London, Bristol and Cardiff	Truro, Cornwall
‘First contact’ (the Moon first covers the disc of the Sun)	6.08pm	6.12pm	6.13pm	6.15pm	6.17pm	6.18pm
Eclipse maximum (when most of the Sun is covered)	7.05pm	7.10pm	7.10pm	7.11pm	7.12pm	7.16pm
End of eclipse (the Moon is no longer covering the Sun)	8pm	8.05-06pm	8.03-04pm	8.04pm	8.06pm	8.10pm

The Sun's corona seen during the 2017 total solar eclipse | Credits: NASA/Carla Thomas

Where will see a total solar eclipse on 12 August?

This will be the first total eclipse visible from central or western Europe since 1999.

The path of totality on 12 August falls over parts of Greenland, the very western tip of Iceland, and curves round Northern Spain, ending on the Balearic Islands.

It varies by location, but spectators will be able to see up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds of totality – with the longest duration of totality seen from Iceland.

Cities that will see the total solar eclipse on 12 August include Reykjavík in Iceland. In Spain, cities that fall in the path of totality include A Coruna, Oviedo, Zaragoza, Bilbao and Valencia.

Spain is fortunate to see two total solar eclipses in the space of a year, which is quite rare – with another on 2 August 2027 visible from the very southern tip of Spain.

How to see the 12 August 2026 solar eclipse

Don’t go into this much-anticipated event unprepared!

It's important to note that you should never look directly at the Sun, even during an eclipse when some of its intense light is blocked. Doing so can severely damage your eyes.

Here are four ways you can safely watch the 12 August partial solar eclipse:

1. Watch the Royal Observatory's live stream – we'll be broadcasting a free, live feed of the eclipse from London. Stay tuned for more details!

2. Use eclipse glasses – Buy or borrow a pair of special eclipse glasses. These block out the Sun’s harmful rays and enable you to look at the eclipse safely with your own eyes. Please note that regular sunglasses are not safe to use, as they don’t have adequate UV protection to protect your eyesight.

To ensure your eclipse glasses are legitimate, make sure that they have safety certification ‘ISO 12312-2' or ‘ISO 12312-2:2015’ printed somewhere on the glasses. Be careful if you’re planning on reusing an old pair of eclipse glasses: these may not be safe, especially if the lenses are creased or scratched, as their filtering properties may have been compromised. Don’t take risks – buy yourself a fresh pair.

3. Use a solar telescope – Check with your local astronomical society to see if they’re running any eclipse-viewing events on 12 August. They’re likely to have a few telescopes fitted with special solar filters, which are safe to use to observe the Sun.

Please note that regular telescopes without a solar filter should never be used to look at the Sun.

4. Make a pinhole projector – There are a few ways you can go about making a ‘pinhole projector’, which will allow you to see the eclipse by projecting the Sun’s light, and the bite being taken out of it, onto another surface.

Two pieces of paper: make a small hole in one piece of paper and hold it above another piece of paper to see the shadow being cast on the Sun replicated in miniature.
Colander: Hold up a colander and look at its shadow.
Tree leaves: The gaps between leaves are natural pinhole projectors - simply look at the shadows cast by leaves on the ground.

Never miss an eclipse

When is the next total solar eclipse in the UK?

You'll have to wait until 2090 for the next total solar eclipse visible from the UK! The 12 August 2026 eclipse is the closest to total that the British Isles will see for quite some time.

The only eclipse that comes close to total for the British Isles will be on 3 September 2081, where up to 99% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon. Cornwall and the south coast will again be the best place to observe from.

Other significant partial eclipses will occur in 2030 (~50%), 2053 (~40%), 2066 (~60%), 2075 (~70%), 2082 (~70%) and 2088 (~40%), with a handful of more minor eclipses taking place.

Impact of a Meteoroid During the Total Lunar Eclipse © Rafael Ruiz

An accompanying partial lunar eclipse in the UK

Solar and lunar eclipses come in pairs, with a lunar eclipse always coming two weeks before or after a solar eclipse.

A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, and the Moon falls in Earth's shadow.

A 90% partial lunar eclipse will be visible from the UK on 28 August, around two weeks after the 12 August 2026 solar eclipse.

This partial lunar eclipse will begin at the rather unsociable hour of 3.33am BST. The Moon will move further into Earth's shadow until the maximum of the eclipse at 5.12am, when approximately 90% of the Moon will be in Earth's umbra, the darkest part of its shadow.

The Moon will be very low on the horizon, so you’ll need to get somewhere with a clear view towards the western horizon to see this.

During the eclipse's maximum, the Moon will appear reddish because it will be illuminated by sunlight that has passed through the Earth's atmosphere and been refracted towards the Moon. The red hue is why lunar eclipses are often referred to as 'blood moons'.More 2026 space and astronomy highlights

Visit the Royal Observatory Greenwich

Visit the home of Greenwich Mean Time and stand on the world-famous Prime Meridian Line

Visit us

Header image by Cris Menles on Pexels

Night Sky Highlights - January 2026

Jessica Lee — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 09:13:19 +0000

Night Sky Highlights - January 2026 Jessica Lee Mon, 12/22/2025 - 09:13

By Prishaa, Work Experience Student

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in January 2026:

Throughout January - Find the brightest stars in the sky, Betelgeuse and Sirius
Early hours of 4 January – Spot a shooting star at the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower
10 January – Admire Jupiter at opposition
See February's highlights

Betelgeuse and Sirius

Throughout January you’ll be able to spot one of the most remarkable constellations from the Northern Hemisphere: Orion. One of the brightest stars in Orion is Betelgeuse, which is easy to spot low in the southern sky.

Betelgeuse has a distinctive orange-red hue because it is a red supergiant star and, interestingly, it will one day (relatively soon on the scale of the Universe) explode in a powerful supernova. Betelgeuse is around 10 million years old and lies roughly 400-700 light years away from Earth, meaning when we look at it, we actually see the star as it was up to 700 years ago.

This means it's possible that Betelgeuse has already gone supernova, and the light from that explosion is still travelling towards us. However, it’s also possible that the explosion won’t happen for another 100,000 years – stars operate on very different timescales from people!

Sirius A and B. Credit: NASA, ESA, H. Bond (STScI), and M. Barstow (University of Leicester)

Another bright star you'll be able to see is Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky. Sirius belongs to the constellation Canis Major and, unlike Betelgeuse, it is part of a binary star system made up of Sirius A and Sirius B.

The brighter of the two is Sirius A, which is roughly twice the size of our sun, while Sirius B is smaller and dimmer.

You can see Sirius A with the naked eye in the southeastern sky, below and to the left of Orion. Sirius B is in the same area, but it's definitely a challenge to spot - you’ll need a telescope, and even then it can be tricky to see.

The Quadrantid meteor shower

The Quadrantid meteor shower can be spotted from the UK from 28 December 2025 until 12 January 2026. It'll peak in the early hours of 4 January, after midnight but before dawn. At the peak the Quadrantids can produce up to 120 meteors per hour, making this one of the best meteor showers of the year.

A bit of lore: the Quadrantids get their name from a historic constellation called Quadrans Muralis. This constellation is no longer officially recognised, but its name lives on through this meteor shower.

Quadrantid meteors are made of debris from asteroid 2003 EH1, and they burn through the atmosphere with a blue/white trail, which is caused by the presence of metals such as magnesium and iron.

When searching for meteors in the sky, the brightness of the Moon may hinder your ability to see shooting stars. Unfortunately, the Moon will be full at the peak of this shower, so moonlight will drown out a lot of the meteors.

A top tip would be to block the Moon with a tree or even your hand, shielding your eyes from its bright light, which might help you to see the meteors more clearly.

Jupiter at opposition

NASA's Juno mission photograph of Jupiter. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Gary Eason

Mark your calendars, because on 10 January Jupiter (the largest gas giant of our solar system) will be at its closest point to Earth. This is a point called opposition, when Jupiter is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun.

You will be able to see Jupiter in the southeastern sky right after sunset, where it will outshine every star in the sky. To the naked eye it will be a bright white spot.

On 10 January you'll find Jupiter in the constellation of Gemini, just below the two bright stars Castor and Pollux. Using a telescope, you'll be able to see the belts of different coloured gases forming the top layers of Jupiter’s atmosphere.

If you use binoculars, you won’t be able to see the stripes of Jupiter too clearly, but you might just be able to see some of its Galilean moons as tiny points of light.

Jupiter is named after the Roman god of the sky and thunder, the king of the gods. This is fitting for Jupiter as it is the largest planet in our solar system, reigning over the others, and is known for its thunder and storms. Jupiter’s largest storm is popularly known as the Great Red Spot, which has a diameter roughly 1.3 times larger than Earth.

Southern Hemisphere stargazing: a stellar cluster

Credit: ESO

Star clusters are groups of stars held together by self-gravitation.

One of these star clusters which is visible for readers in the Southern Hemisphere in January is NGC 2547. You'll be able to see this cluster after sunset throughout the month, and it will reach its highest point in the sky on 23 January.

NGC 2547 is hard to see with the naked eye, so you'll need to use binoculars or ideally a telescope to see it in the constellation of Vela.

The Moon's phases in January 2026

Full moon - 3 January (10:02)

Last quarter - 10 January (15:48)

New moon - 18 January (19:52)

First quarter - 26 January (04:47)

Stargazing tips

When looking at faint objects such as stars, nebulae, the Milky Way and other galaxies, it is important to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark so that you can achieve better night vision.
Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to become sensitive in the dark and remember not to look at your mobile phone or any other bright device when stargazing.
If you're using a star app on your phone, switch on the red night vision mode.

More space and astronomy

From the Royal Observatory Greenwich

Night Sky Highlights - February 2026

Explore what you can see in the night sky this February, including the Pleiades and the four biggest planets in our Solar System.

Space and astronomy highlights in 2026

What should you keep your eyes on the skies for in 2026? Discover this year's standout moments with Royal Observatory astronomers

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 winners

The winning images in the world's biggest space photography competition have been revealed

Astronomy with the naked eye

Learn what you could see in the night sky with no equipment from the Royal Observatory Greenwich; from galaxies and meteor showers to comets, star clusters, cloud formations and more

Quadrantid meteor shower: when and where to see it in the UK

Your guide to seeing the Quadrantid meteor shower, among the strongest and most consistent meteor showers of the year

Meteor shower guide 2026

Want to see shooting stars? Check the key dates for major meteor showers in the UK in 2026, and how to see them in the night sky

Full Moon calendar 2026

Check the dates for every full Moon throughout the year, learn about the Moon's phases, 'supermoons' and more

Artemis Programme: what you need to know about NASA’s Moon missions

NASA's Artemis missions aim to land humans on the Moon again, create a lunar base, and lay the groundwork for a future trip to Mars

Explore what you can see in the night sky this January, including the Quadrantid meteor shower, Jupiter at its best, and some of the brightest stars in the sky.

Night Sky Highlights - December 2025

Imo Bell — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 13:00:41 +0000

Night Sky Highlights - December 2025 Imo Bell Fri, 11/28/2025 - 13:00

By Theo, Work Experience Student

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in December 2025:

7 December - Spot Mercury at greatest western elongation
14 December - Catch the peak of the Geminid meteor shower
21 December - Experience the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice
See January 2026's highlights

The Geminid meteor shower

The Geminid meteor shower will be active between 4 and 20 December. It will reach its peak on 14 December, when it could produce up to 120 meteors per hour. The shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Gemini, close to the star Castor.

The Geminids are particularly exciting because they originate from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, while almost all other meteor showers are caused by debris from comets.

This meteor shower is ideal for observing all night at the peak, and viewing conditions will be favourable as the Moon will be a waning crescent, so it won't produce too much light pollution.

Mercury at greatest western elongation

Keen planet observers will have an ideal opportunity to observe Mercury early in the month: Mercury reaches greatest western elongation on 7 December, meaning it is at its farthest point from the Sun from our perspective.

Though the ideal time for spotting Mercury will be just before dawn on 7 December, looking to the east, it will be clearly visible for a few days either side of this date. It is not advised to attempt to see Mercury through a telescope though, as it will still be close to the Sun, and you risk pointing your telescope at the Sun as it rises.

Jupiter and the Moon

Also on 7 December, the Moon and Jupiter will make a close approach in the constellation of Gemini. This will be best observed low on the horizon just after moonrise in the northeast, but the two objects will remain in close proximity throughout the night.

Both Jupiter and the Moon will appear bright in the sky, making this an ideal target for observing with the naked eye, binoculars and small telescopes. Using a small telescope you may be able to see four Galilean moons, as well as detailed views of mountains and valleys along our Moon’s terminator (the line where the illuminated area meets the shadowed area).

New Moon sightseeing

The best night for making general observations will be 20 December, when the Moon will be in its new phase. At this time, the sky will be at its darkest as there will be no sunlight reflecting off of the Moon, allowing you to take a look at fainter objects that might have been drowned out by the light. Jupiter will be the only planet in the sky, still in the constellation of Gemini.

This is also a good night to bring out your telescope; deep space objects such as the Beehive Cluster, the Orion Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy are in ideal positions to observe.

The Ursid meteor shower will also be active on this night. However, this is a sparse shower with a peak rate of 10 meteors per hour. It'll peak on 22 December, with meteors appearing to radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor.

The winter solstice

The winter solstice, or shortest day of the year, will occur in the Northern Hemisphere on 21 December. On this day London will experience only 7 hours, 49 minutes and 42 seconds of daylight. The exact moment of the solstice in the UK will be at 3.03pm GMT, but many celebrate the whole day.

Observing Saturn in the Southern Hemisphere

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, Saturn will be around in the evening throughout the month, making it ideal for observing. Look in a northwesterly direction to spot it. With a small telescope you might be able to see details like Saturn's famous rings.

At the moment, however, Saturn’s rings are facing the Earth almost edge-on, which can make them hard to see. Keep an eye out on 8 and 24 December in particular - on these nights Titan, Saturn's largest moon, will make a transit.

The Moon's phases in December 2025

Full moon - 4 December (23:14). This will also be a supermoon.

Last quarter - 11 December (20:51)

New moon - 20 December (01:43)

First quarter - 27 December (19:09)

Stargazing tips

When looking at faint objects such as stars, nebulae, the Milky Way and other galaxies, it is important to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark so that you can achieve better night vision.
Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to become sensitive in the dark and remember not to look at your mobile phone or any other bright device when stargazing.
If you're using a star app on your phone, switch on the red night vision mode.

More space and astronomy

From the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Night Sky Highlights - January 2026

Explore what you can see in the night sky this January, including the Quadrantid meteor shower, Jupiter at its best, and some of the brightest stars in the sky.

Space and astronomy highlights in 2026

What should you keep your eyes on the skies for in 2026? Discover this year's standout moments with Royal Observatory astronomers

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 winners

The winning images in the world's biggest space photography competition have been revealed

Royal Observatory

Visit the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the Prime Meridian of the world

Astronomy with the naked eye

Learn what you could see in the night sky with no equipment from the Royal Observatory Greenwich; from galaxies and meteor showers to comets, star clusters, cloud formations and more

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition

See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum

What are the Pleiades?

Take a closer look at the Pleiades, an extremely hot cluster of young stars. Also known as the 'Seven Sisters' or M45, this stellar family has been the subject of numerous myths in cultures worldwide

A rare spectacle: photographing the aurora in England

An incredibly strong solar storm in May 2024 made the aurora visible across the UK. Astrophotographer Darren Flinders seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

A history of the Royal Observatory in six objects

Explore 350 years of the world-renowned institution and the people who worked there through six intriguing objects

Explore what you can see in the night sky this December, including the Geminid meteor shower and Jupiter!

'Observing the Universe reveals how small yet precious we are'

Freya Richards — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 11:12:26 +0000

'Observing the Universe reveals how small yet precious we are' Freya Richards Thu, 11/27/2025 - 11:12

By day, Takanobu Kurosaki runs a traditional bathhouse in Japan with his mother. By night, taking advantage of rare clear skies over his hometown, he takes photographs of the cosmos.

Takanobu wasn’t always an astrophotographer: his main passion was underwater photography, which he explored whilst scuba diving and photographing in oceans worldwide.

In 2009, learning to walk again after a serious motorbike accident, Takanobu realised the wonder of everyday life. In doing so, he turned his lens towards the night sky.

Takanobu was Runner-up in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025’s People and Space category with his image Rotation.

Learn more about Takanobu's journey through hometown fatigue, scuba diving, loss, new perspectives, and landscape astrophotography. He also discusses the five-year wait for the right conditions for Rotation, his connection to the Ferris wheel, and the symbolism behind the photograph.

Rotation

By Takanobu Kurosaki

“This vibrant composition connects the rotating lights of the Ferris wheel with circular star trails. The image creates a dynamic cosmic dance, with both sets of rings centred around Polaris, as if choreographed by the Universe. The interplay of the revolving elements of the human-made and celestial produces a captivating and exciting photograph.” - Competition judge Victoria Lane.

Visit the exhibition

Tell us about yourself and your journey in photography

I take astrophotographs in my hometown of Toyama in Japan, but I wasn't always interested in astrophotography.

When I was in my 20s, I disliked Toyama. My family runs a public bathhouse that's been in business for 100 years, and I grew up watching them work without any days off.

I felt Toyama was ordinary and unexciting. In winter, with the snow falling constantly, it felt like a lonely place - I just wanted to escape.

So, I became a scuba diving instructor. I went diving in the Southern Islands and took underwater photos, a complete contrast to Toyama. For eight years, as an instructor and underwater photographer, I dived and photographed in oceans all over the world.

However, in 2000 my father passed away, and I had to return to Toyama to take over the family business. I didn't even have the energy to take pictures. That was my first setback.

Then, in 2009, a serious motorcycle accident became my second setback. I was hospitalised for a year and underwent five surgeries during that time. The doctor told me, "Your job is to walk." I'd sneak out of the hospital, dragging my leg in a cast, and walk with all my might.

I suddenly felt how wonderful an ordinary life was. I just wished to return to my normal routine, to have a healthy body again.

I slowly continued to walk. Then, I started seeing things I had never noticed before. The flowers blooming by the roadside, the chirping of small birds... everything felt beautiful.

That's when I picked up my camera and started taking pictures with passion. The camera gave my dark heart a ray of light. I started photographing landscapes, festivals and fireworks.

When I was taking underwater photos, I used a film camera. But when I got a digital camera, high-sensitivity shooting became possible and I became completely absorbed in the fun of skyscape photography.

What is your personal style of astrophotography?

I don't just photograph celestial objects by themselves, I capture them together with the landscape. This is because I feel that celestial bodies are as precious as jewels.

Just as a jewel enhances the person wearing it, the heavens make the earthly scenery appear even more breathtakingly beautiful.

That's why I carefully choose my shooting locations, taking into account the season and the time of day when that particular spot shines the brightest.

What are your favourite astrophotography targets?

It varies: there are times when I spend years preparing for a piece, but often I'll head out to shoot on the spur of the moment.

Astrophotography truly is a battle with the weather. In Toyama, heavy snow continues through the severe winter. Even in other seasons there aren’t many clear days. So, I only get about 20 days a year to photograph the stars.

However, that's precisely why the moments I spend looking at the sky within those limited opportunities are an irreplaceable joy.

Why did you decide to submit your image to 2025's ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition?

I've been challenging myself with entering Astronomy Photographer of the Year since 2012, and I've been fortunate enough to be shortlisted five times so far: in 2020, 2022, 2023 and twice in 2025.

Participating in this, the most prestigious contest in the world, is a valuable opportunity for me.

1 / 3

Shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2020.

Buy a print of this image

2 / 3

Shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022.

Buy a print of this image

3 / 3

Shortlisted in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025

How did you take your photo, Rotation?

My life's work is photographing the Ferris wheel at my local amusement park, Mirage Land. This Ferris wheel, whether it's raining or snowing; morning, noon, or night; constantly serves as the model for my work.

The initial concept for this piece was to depict two large circles – the Ferris wheel and star trails. I shot it many times on clear days, but I felt something was missing with just the circles. The Ferris wheel isn't usually operated at night, but it does run on special evenings.

While the Ferris wheel completes a rotation in 15 minutes, the stars make a full circuit in 24 hours. I superimposed these two cycles onto life itself. I wanted to express how both good and bad things come and go, but tomorrow always arrives. To achieve this, I was meticulous about aligning the North Star with the axis of the Ferris wheel.

To complete this piece, I needed specific conditions: the Ferris wheel had to be operating at night, and it had to be a clear night without moonlight.

Because of these demanding requirements, and with the global lockdown period in between, it took me five years from conception to the final completion of the work.

This piece embodies not just technical skill, but also my deep affection for the Ferris wheel and my persistent dedication to creating the work.

The amusement park was bustling with many people, but I was the only one gazing at the night sky.

How does astrophotography make you feel?

Observing and photographing the Universe teaches us how small we are, yet how precious our existence is.

In the vastness of space, our daily lives here on Earth might sometimes feel monotonous. But by looking at our world from a cosmic perspective, we can rediscover the beauty hidden in the everyday and recognise the miracle of life.

Capturing the movements of celestial bodies and the laws of nature helps us truly feel the flow of time and the universal truth that everything is cyclical. This gives us hope, reminding us that life's challenges are just part of a larger journey, always leading forward.

What was the reaction to your photo?

The amusement park officials were astonished! They said, 'We never imagined this Ferris wheel could look so magnificent!’

What advice would you give to people interested in astrophotography?

Skyscapes exist within your everyday life. They are a world that can only be captured through your unique perspective.

You don’t need a powerful telescope when shooting skyscapes. Your everyday camera and lens, plus a tripod, are all you need. What's most important is the image you envision.

Follow Takanobu on Instagram.

Find more stories from Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Billions of stars, one winning photograph: the core of Andromeda

A trio of photographers from China have won the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 competition with a breathtaking image of the core of the Andromeda Galaxy

Earth and space through an astronaut's lens

Discover how NASA astronaut Don Pettit takes out-of-this-world photographs from the unique and constantly moving vantage point of the International Space Station

A rare spectacle: photographing the aurora in England

An incredibly strong solar storm in May 2024 made the aurora visible across the UK. Astrophotographer Darren Flinders seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Photographing a natural optical illusion

Meet Marcella Giulia Pace, who won the Our Moon category of the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 competition with her unique image of a natural optical spectacle

A stellar duo: two young astrophotographers shooting for the stars

Meet the youngest entrants in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024: brothers Benjamin and Joshua Lawler

Anatomy of a habitable planet: Earth as you've never seen it before

Sergio Díaz Ruiz uses satellite imagery to explore climate change by creating an image of Earth as it might be analysed by a distant alien civilisation

Beads of sunlight: photographing an annular solar eclipse

Ryan Imperio's spellbinding image of our Sun earned him the top prize in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

Finding community through astrophotography

Sophie Paulin and Tom Williams struck up a friendship in an online astrophotography forum. Discover how they combined their expertise to win a prize in Astronomy Photographer of the Year

'Out with the camera, my senses are heightened' – behind the lens with Paul Haworth

Discover the vibrant nocturnal world of East Anglian astrophotographer Paul Haworth, shortlisted in 2024's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition

Behind the lens with Monika Deviat

Dancer, educator, heavy metal fan and astrophotographer, discover more about the Aurorae winner of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023

Seeing the sound of a black hole: the story of Black Echo

How do you picture something that is invisible and inaudible to humans? Artist and photographer John White has the answer

Andromeda, Unexpected - how three amateur astronomers and astrophotographers changed our view of the Universe

Learn about the brand-new discovery that earned Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty the title of Astronomy Photographer of the Year – and a place in the science books

Explore the winning and shortlisted images

From ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025.

Space and astronomy

Night sky highlights - May 2026

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in May 2026

Look Up! podcast

This content is hosted by a third party

Two moons in a month: the blue moon explained

The planets in May: last chance for Jupiter

An ancient haircut: Coma Berenices

Looking deeper: the Needle Galaxy

Eta Aquariid meteor shower: debris from Halley's Comet

Southern Hemisphere: Hamburger Galaxy

The Moon's phases in May 2026

Stargazing tips

Read next

‘A very good library’

The ‘Observatory within our Park at Greenwich’

'There is a Library'

How 'representing the present state of science' became a 'serious inconvenience'

Location, location, location

From Observatory to museum library

Copernicus, Nicolas. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. Nuremberg: Johannes Petreius, 1543. RMG ID: PBG0220.

Hevelius, Johannes. Selenographia. Danzig: Johannes Hevelius, 1647. RMG ID: PBG2055.

Flamsteed, John. Historiae coelestis. London, 1725. RMG ID: PBG0710/1-3.

Flamsteed, John. Atlas coelestis. London, 1729. RMG ID: PBG1429.

Dunkin, Edwin. The midnight sky. London: Religious Tract Society, 1869. RMG ID: PBG3833.

Beyond Airy

Further reading

Blast off to the Caird Library and Archive

Discover more

Night sky highlights - April 2026

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in April 2026

The 'Pink' Easter Moon

April meteor showers

Venus and Mercury

Collisions, crows and sombreros

Chances of aurora

Celebrating darkness

Southern Hemisphere stargazing

Born to be wild - the Carina Nebula

The Moon's phases in April 2026

Stargazing tips

You may also be interested in

Night Sky Highlights - March 2026

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in March 2026

See March's full Moon

The planets in March

The spring equinox

Spring Triangle

Zodiacal light

Messier Marathon

Southern Hemisphere stargazing: Poutūterangi

The Moon's phases in March 2026

Stargazing tips

More space and astronomy

Writing by the Astronomy Ambassadors Group

The smells of space

Doubling down on gravitational lenses

Ionic plasma thrusters

Night Sky Highlights - February 2026

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in February 2026:

Orion the hunter

The Pleiades star cluster

The Pegasus Cluster and Andromeda Galaxy

Planets in February 2026

Southern Hemisphere highlights

The Moon's phases in February 2026

Stargazing tips

More space and astronomy

How to see the 12 August 2026 partial solar eclipse

Never miss an eclipse

Visit the Royal Observatory Greenwich

Night Sky Highlights - January 2026

Top 3 things to see in the night sky in January 2026:

Betelgeuse and Sirius

The Quadrantid meteor shower

Jupiter at opposition

Southern Hemisphere stargazing: a stellar cluster

The Moon's phases in January 2026

Stargazing tips

More space and astronomy