Watch out for more Northern Lights displays. The sun is reaching the peak of its 11 year solar cycle which, cutting through the jargon, means the aurora is much more likely. Enjoy this lovely image taken by Richard Randall from the coast near Whitby, North Yorkshire.
The planet Jupiter is visible in the south west at nightfall. Even a small telescope will reveal detail in Jupiter’s cloud bands, plus up to four of its moons. It shines much brighter than any star so you should be able to track it down.
The Lyrids Meteor Shower peaks on 22/23 April. This is generally a modest affair and this year a full moon further dampens prospects. But it’s definitely worth a look for bright shooting stars.
From mid May until the start of August much of the UK experiences bright summer nights with no true astronomical darkness. The far south of England is better placed with darker nights. But one thing we can all see on occasions are Noctilucent Clouds. These are the highest clouds that can form in the Earth’s atmosphere, some 60 miles up. Our mid northern latitude combined with the geometry of the sun makes Britain one of the best places in the world to see them. Look to the north about an hour after sunset, or before sunrise. You are looking for electric blue and ghostly clouds that really do glow in the dark.
From August onwards we get a really good view of the Milky Way overhead. Looking like a band of light stretching across the sky your best bet is to observe from dark locations on moonless nights. It can really look spectacular.
One of the headliner events of the year is the Perseids meteor show. This peaks on the night of the 12/13 August, but you will see increased meteor activity in days before and after the climax. Don’t bother with telescopes. Your naked eye is perfect for this. The moon will set after midnight so if you can stay awake you will be rewarded with more sightings. Darker areas always favoured.
The full moon on 19 August is actually a Blue Moon! This is the third of four full moons this season so it gains is colourful moniker.
Magnificent Saturn has been getting higher in the sky over recent years for UK observers which is excellent news. The planet is at its closest to Earth on 8 September and is a superb sight. You will need a telescopes to see the rings. A small one will do. you need to attain a magnification of about 40x to see them clearly. The rings are closing up at the moment and in 2025 they will be edge on as seen from the earth and largely invisible.
The lovely Orionid meteor shower peaks on 20/21 October. It’s a personal favourite of mine not least because the shooting stars are in reality tiny bits of debris discarded by the famous Halley’s Comet. Two more meteor showers round of the year The Leonids are on the 17/18 November and the best of the lot follows soon after – the mighty Geminids on 13/14 December. It’s the richest of all the showers and very reliable. A slight downside is that there’ll be a moon in the sky washing our the fainter meteors. But don’t be put off. As always with meteors, you will see them on the nights before and after the peak. Use your naked eye. Observing later is also generally better.
On 7 December the planet Jupiter is at its closest to the Earth this year. That means it is ideally placed for viewing. What is more it is very high in the sky, which is just where we want it for the sharpest views. Even small telescopes will reveal its four brightest moons and banding on the disc of the planet. These are weather systems. This amazing world is about 400 million miles away and by far the largest of all the planets in the solar system.
Dark Skies UK 