6 March 2021 For the last few weeks we’ve been looking at the north west, first with the Pleiades, then Orion. Let’s fill the gap between the two and look at the Hyades star cluster in Taurus. This “V” shaped cluster forms the head of Taurus the bull. Look up to find Orion. ( look […]
Category: Blog
The Beehive
So, last time we had a look at the twins in Gemini – the stars Castor and Pollux. Tonight we’re looking at a nice feature in the constellation of Cancer, just to the right and above the twins. Looking due north at around 9.oo pm you should be able to clearly make out the […]
Where is Comet Leonard
Dec 27 2021. So, where is Comet Leonard? In the event that we actually get a clear evening, these directions will work for about the next three days. Look west at about 20h45. You should see a bright Venus very low on the horizon. The next brightest object is Jupiter, at around 45 degrees above […]
Best times to book a stargazing tour: 2022
yearmatrix2022 This table allows you to plan for the darkest skies. The best time for stargazing is around new moon. A few days either side of new moon provides an opportunity to view most deep sky objects and also get a little sliver of moon. First and last quarter moon provides a good opportunity to […]
Starcast August 2021
Hi there stargazers Its starcast time. The last month has given us some good dark nights. Unfortunately we’re now heading back towards the Spring equinox, with the nights getting shorter. Darkskyes sessions starting at 18.30 will soon be a thing of the past. But this is a great month for planetary viewing and on 22 […]
Starcast 9: July 2021
Greetings curfew-bound stargazers Its the time of the month when a starcast is due. Given that you’re all curled up at home by 21h00, what better way to use your time on a cool winters night, than to prepare some gluwein, settle into your garden recliner with a warm foot-blanket and a pair of binoculars, […]
Starcast 8: June 2021.
June starcast. Greetings stargazers Were now entering the month of the southern winter solstice. Our reminder that it’s really winter is that the constellation Orion has set on the western horizon. For those who missed the spectacular views of the Orion Nebula, you need to wait until November ( or get up very early). We […]
Starcast7: 09 April 2021
STARCAST APRIL 2021. Happy belated Easter Stargazers. Before we get into the starcast, let me provide you with a snippet of useless astronomy trivia. Did you know that the date of Easter is based on astronomical factors, explaining why it varies from year to year? Most of us know that Easter has its origins in […]
Starcast 6: 21 March 2021
Its time for a starcast again. As we approach the Autumn equinox, the Milky way is in the best position to see the full extent of the arm of our galaxy, that is visible to us. The solar system is located in an outer arm of the Milky Way, which is a spiral galaxy. Its […]
Starcast 5 of 2021: 1 March to 15 March
Greetings stargazers. We’re almost at the southern autumn equinox. Our night sky at around 9.00 pm has the Milky way now bisecting the sky from north to south, with many of the deep sky delights directly overheard. The great planets are all near to the sun, and you have to get up at about 4 […]