THE ASTRONOMER’S

YEARBOOK

Your guide to the stars 10 easy targets for

for the next 12 months your first astrophoto
The year’s big eclipses, Up close with beautiful
comets & meteor showers Saturn, the Ringed Planet
When and where to find Top tips for family
the planets each season friendly stargazing
 The Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

EDITORIAL
Editor Chris Bramley
Art Editor Steve Marsh
Production Editor Jheni Osman

CONTRIBUTORS
Stuart Atkinson, Charlotte Daniels,
Chris Grimmer, Tim Jardine, Tom Kerss, Pete
Welcome This complete stargazing guide provides all the
Lawrence, Mary McIntyre, Martin Mobberley,
Sarah Peasgood, Jonathan Powell, Steve information you need to enjoy the best sights in the
Richards, Steve Tonkin night sky throughout 2025.
The Sky Guide offers useful advice, month
ADVERTISING SALES by month, to help you navigate through the
Advertising Executive Andy Williams; +44 (0)117
300 8803; [email protected] cosmos. Find out the best times to catch meteor
showers, planetary oppositions, occultations, rare
CONTENT OPERATIONS conjunctions, clair-obscur effects and noctilucent
Content Operations Director Sarah Powell clouds. Discover the delights of constellations such
Senior Content Operations Coordinator as Canes Venatici, Serpens, Cetus and Cepheus.
Derrick Andrews
Reprographics Chris Sutch Longer articles let you dive a bit deeper: discover 10 top
WDUJHWVLQWKHQLJKWVN\ƅQGRXWKRZWREXLOG\RXURZQH\HSLHFH
PUBLISHING collection, have a go at the Caldwell challenge, and discover
Brand Lead Rob Brock ways to enjoy astronomy with the whole family – young and old.
Managing Director Andrew Davies If you’re up for a challenge in 2025, have a go at spotting
CEO Andy Marshall
lunar valleys, or observing gas giant Jupiter and ringed planet
6DWXUQLQWKH&KDOOHQJH<RXUVHOIVHFWLRQ<RXŝOODOVRƅQGORDGVRI
BBC STUDIOS, UK PUBLISHING
Chair, Editorial Review Boards practical advice, such as the best equipment available, or how to
Nicholas Brett star hop the night sky, master averted vision or predict an aurora
SVP, Global Licensing Stephen Davies display. And don’t miss the gallery of winning images from Sky
Global Director, Magazines Mandy Thwaites
Content Manager Cameron McEwan at Night Magazine’s monthly astrophoto competition.
[email protected]; www.bbcstudios.com All this and more! Indeed, with the Astronomer’s Yearbook to
hand, you can make the most of your nights under the stars in
© Our Media Ltd 2024. All rights reserved. No 2025. Enjoy, and clear skies!
part of The Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 may be
reproduced in any form or by any means either
wholly or in part, without prior written permission
of the publisher. Not to be resold, lent, hired out
or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more
than the recommended retail price or in mutilated
condition. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons
Ltd. The publisher, editor and authors accept
no responsibility in respect of any products,
goods or services which may be advertised
or referred to in this issue or for any errors,
omissions, misstatements or mistakes in any such Chris Bramley, Editor
advertisements or references.
COVER IMAGE: NASA/ESA/CSA/STSCI

We abide by IPSO’s rules and

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The Editor, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, Our Media Ltd.,
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Like what you’ve read?

Email us at:
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Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 3

Contents
Month-by-month sky guide Features
38 January 6 Family-friendly astronomy
42 February 12 10 astrophotography targets
48 March 18 Build your eyepiece collection
52 April 24 Take the Caldwell challenge
56 May 94 Gallery: astrophotography winners
62 June
Equipment round-up
66 July
70 August 31 ZWO Seester S50 smart scope
76 September 32 Celestron SkyMaster Pro ED
15x70 binoculars
80 October
84 November 33 Askar V apo modular telescope kit
90 December 34 0DVX\DPDLQFKǨH\HSLHFHV
35 Altair Astro Hypercam 585C
Seasonal constellations colour camera

46 Spring constellation: Canes Venatici Skills for stargazers

60 Summer constellation: Serpens
74 Autumn constellation: Cetus 106 Star-hopping
88 Winter constellation: Cepheus 108 Master the art of averted vision
110 Predict an aurora display
Challenge yourself
Plus…
100 Project 1: Observe gas giant Jupiter
112 Subscribe to BBC Sky at Night
102 Project 2: Spot lunar valleys Magazine
104 Project 3: Capture the ringed planet 114 A closing thought...

4 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

88 6
94

104
30 106 Caph

Polaris
13º

Kemble’s Segin
NGC 1502
Cascade
13º

CAMELOPARDALIS
All together now: get
the family off their devices
and out sharing the wonders
of the night sky

Family-friendly
Mary McIntyre reveals practical tips and fun projects
that will get the whole family – young and old – looking up

F
inding an activity that may have family members with mobility expensive equipment: just dress warmly,
everyone in the family is problems or those who think they’re get yourself a red-light torch, a star chart
happy to take part in can be not interested in astronomy. Practical RUSODQLVSKHUHDQGƅQGDSODFHLQ\RXU
challenging. If you’ve ever astronomy is fun and can be adapted to garden or local park where you’re shielded
tried to arrange a family suit all needs and interests. from streetlights. There are also great
movie night, you’ll be familiar with the We’re going to look at some stargazing night-sky apps to try; remember to turn
struggle! One activity that you can easily activities that can be done all year round, your phone screen red and the brightness
do as a family is practical astronomy. but the winter months are ideal as it down, to help your night vision. Perhaps
You may have children of different ages, gets dark early, so young children won’t the best advice of all, though, is to take
with teenagers hesitant to join in. You need to stay up late. You don’t need things at your own pace and have fun!

6 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Family-friendly astronomy

S A pencil and paper are all you need to

get to know the phases of our Moon. Draw

1. Observe the Moon what you see as it waxes and wanes

made by a family member, or 3D-printed

models. You can also use a torch on the
model to try to mimic the shadow effects
that you’ll observe in the next activity.
Using a telescope and a high-power
eyepiece, locate a lunar crater that has
QLFHVKDGRZVDURXQGLWRQHVWKDWƅWWKH
bill will be near to the boundary between
the illuminated and unilluminated sides of
the Moon (the ‘terminator’). Note the time
and make a sketch showing the shape
and length of the shadows. Two hours
later, observe the same crater and make
another drawing. How have the shadows
changed over the two-hour period?
If you have a maths whizz in the family,
they could try measuring the width of
S Get a real feel for the lunar surface with a 3D-printed model
the crater and the length of the shadows,
then using those numbers to calculate the
The Moon is a fantastic target for height of the crater wall. Find out how to
astronomers of all levels, and a great do this online at bit.ly/crater-height. X
place to get started is by creating pencil
sketches of it during an entire lunar cycle.
How does it change day by day? What
effect does the changing illumination have
on the features?
Choose a time when the Moon is about
half-illuminated – that’s when its southern
hemisphere craters are most distinct. Start
ANDRII BILETSKYI/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, MARY MCINTYRE X 3

by observing the Moon with the naked

eye and make a note of the features
you can see. Then look at it through
binoculars: what can you see now that
you couldn’t see before? Finally, observe it
with a telescope and different eyepieces.
What does the telescope show you that
binoculars didn’t? You can research these
features and how they formed.
7.30pm 9.30pm
People with visual impairment – and
everyone else – can enjoy learning about
the lunar landscape by using clay models S Sketches will reveal how the Moon’s crater shadows change

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 7

 2. Track a bright
planet through
a constellation
The movement of planets is different from that of the stars,
which is why they were historically called ‘wandering stars’.
It’s great fun to track the movement of a planet against the
background stars, and you can do this with the naked eye
or with binoculars. Try it during January and February when
Mars is very well-placed in Taurus, having had its closest
approach to Earth in December. Make a sketch of the stars
in Taurus, then mark the location of Mars several times
A favourite star and
over a couple of months. Take note of how far it has moved a bit of maths will prove
between each observation and what direction it is moving in. Earth’s spin takes less
than 24 hours

3. How long does

it take for Earth to
make one rotation?
Earth takes 24 hours to complete one rotation, right? It actually
takes slightly less than that. You can test out how much less by
studying the movement of the stars. Position yourself so you can
see a bright star disappear behind a chimney pot. Note the exact
time it vanishes. Repeat this with the same star, from the same
position, over the next few nights, noting how many minutes
difference there is. After a week, you’ll have six values. Add them,
divide the total by six to get the average, and convert them to
seconds. Watching Vega we saw a difference of four minutes and
ƅYHVHFRQGV VHFRQGV 7KHSXEOLVKHGƅJXUHLVWKUHHPLQXWHV
S Sketch the stars in the constellation of Taurus and watch VHFRQGV VHFRQGV VKRUWRIKRXUVWKDWŝVRQHURWDWLRQ
how Mars moves through the scene in the coming weeks
HYHU\KRXUVPLQXWHVDQGIRXUVHFRQGV:KDWGR\RXJHW"

4. Mobility problems? Binocular solutions

A tripod can straddle
Visual astronomy with a telescope can your chair to support
be challenging for people with mobility heavier binoculars
MARY MCINTYRE X 2, STEVE MARSH X 2, SAVOILIC/ISTOCK, GETTY IMAGES

issues, but binoculars are a brilliant

alternative. Small binoculars have the
advantage of being lightweight so they
can be hand-held. If you have larger,
heavier binoculars, mounting them can
make all the difference. A simple tripod
mount works well when viewing objects
that are lower in the sky, and you can
straddle the tripod legs around a stool or
wheelchair. If you’re viewing objects that
are higher, a parallelogram mount is a
better option because they allow much
easier access to the eyepiece from a
seated or standing position.

8 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Family-friendly astronomy

5. Get the whole family using a telescope

Do you have a telescope? Has the whole 6FUXQFKLQJRQHH\HFORVHGZKLOH IURPWKHREMHFWWRWKHLUH\HDVZHOODV
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IDWLJXHG6HWWKHWULSRGWRWKHFRUUHFW EXWFRYHURQHZLWK\RXUKDQG<RXFDQ REVHUYLQJHDFKREMHFW7KLVLVDOVRDQ
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SURSHUO\LIWKH\ŝUHEHLQJFDUULHG WKHGLVWDQFHWKHOLJKWKDVWUDYHOOHG

Provide a stool so
younger children
can reach the
eyepiece easily

Teach youngsters
to cover one eye
to make observing
more comfortable

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 9

 Deneb
CEPHEUS
W Caph
CASSIOPEIA
Schedar LACERTA

CYGNUS

Almach

6. See the far-distant M31

ANDROMEDA

Andromeda Galaxy Mirach

M33

with your naked eye TRIANGULUM

Hamal
Alpheratz

Great Square
PEGASUS
At 2.5 million lightyears away, the Andromeda Galaxy, M31 is of Pegasus Enif

the most distant naked-eye object. You’ll need a relatively dark, ARIES
moonless night and dark-adapted eyes to see it: around 7pm
during mid-January is a great time to try. Locate the star Mirach
in the constellation of Andromeda and then Schedar, the bottom
AQUARIUS
star on the right-hand side of the ‘W’ of Cassiopeia. Draw an
imaginary line between the two. The Andromeda Galaxy lies PISCES Circlet
about a third of the way along from Mirach and slightly below
the line. You may need averted vision to see the faint smudge. S Trace a line from Andromeda’s ‘hip’ star, Mirach, up to Schedar to
How does it appear through binoculars or a telescope? locate M31, the most distant thing you can see with your naked eye

7. Take a deep dive Star stories: read

up on the tales
and mythology

into a constellation behind your chosen

constellation

This activity is great because you can keep it simple or get quite
complex. Choose any constellation: Orion is a great choice during
the winter because it is full of interesting sights and easy to spot.
Research your constellation’s Greek mythology. Do the star
patterns look like the character or object? How does it compare
to mythologies from other cultures? What do you think it looks
like? Draw your own character and write a story about them.
On a moonless night, count how many stars you can see in
WKHFRQVWHOODWLRQZKHQ\RXƅUVWJRRXWEHIRUH\RXUH\HVKDYH
adapted to the darkness. Repeat after 15 and 30 minutes outside.
How many more stars can you see? Are they different colours?
Try again under a bright Moon. Does this affect your count? You
can even then try with the constellations that lie adjacent to it.
Sketch your constellation, paying attention to the stars’
spacing and magnitude (brightness) differences. Drawing makes
you a better observer, so encourage everybody to try! Take a

(DV\WRƅQGDQG
CHART BY PETE LAWRENCE, EERIK/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES, LARS EMIL AGA HAUGOM/

full of fabulous
sights to see,
Orion makes
ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, PAUL WHITFIELD, SKYSAFARI, ISS DETECTOR, PHILIPS

photo of your constellation using a smartphone camera and app

a great choice
such as NightCap, or with a DSLR camera. Are there more stars
for exploration
in the photo compared to what you see?
Use a star chart and choose some deep-sky objects in your
FRQVWHOODWLRQDQGVHHLI\RXFDQƅQGWKHPXVLQJELQRFXODUVRUD
telescope, learning how to get to them by star-hopping.
If you want to get complex, use theory to work out a star’s
DEVROXWHPDJQLWXGH)LUVWƅQGWKHDSSDUHQWPDJQLWXGHVRIQHDUE\
stars (how bright they look from Earth) and use them to estimate
the apparent magnitude (m) of the stars in your constellation.
The absolute magnitude (M) is how bright the stars would look
if they were all 10 parsecs away. Look up the distances (d) to the
stars in your constellation (in parsecs) and combine these with the
apparent magnitudes to calculate the absolute magnitude from
WKRVHƅJXUHVXVLQJWKHIROORZLQJIRUPXODM = m + 5 – 5 log d

10 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Family-friendly astronomy

8. Connect a camera
to your telescope
People with mobility problems or some visual impairment
may physically struggle to look through a telescope eyepiece.
A solution is to attach a camera to your telescope and
display the view on a laptop. If using a smartphone camera,
try apps such as DroidCam (Android and iOS) or EpocCam
(iOS). DSLR users can use Backyard EOS, Backyard Nikon
or DeepSkyStacker Live, while CCD or CMOS users can use
SharpCap or FireCapture. Now everybody can share the view
at the same time. Some software even offers a live stacking
option that will slowly build up a more detailed view of the
object, live on screen. Display and share
your telescope view
on a laptop for

9. Use remote access everyone to enjoy

Family members who are housebound as long as the laptop displaying the screen outside. This means those inside
may feel they miss out on visual telescope view is connected to your can still enjoy visual astronomy with
astronomy, but remote access home network, you can use RealVNC the rest of the family. If the telescope
technology can bring a telescope (downloads available for PC or Mac) or is controlled by planetarium software,
view inside. Connect your camera and Windows Remote Desktop software the person indoors can have complete
telescope as described above and, to connect an indoor computer to the control from inside the house.

10. Keep up to date with the night sky

There are always interesting things to are the Philip’s Stargazing and Collins and other satellites, use the Heavens
spot in the night sky. BBC Sky at Night Night Sky guide books. Try your local Above website or the ISS Detector
Magazine has a full roundup of what’s library or secondhand book shop. There smartphone app. There is something
coming up each month, and there are are also countless websites, newsletters that every family member will enjoy!
many books that show you events to look and smartphone apps, such as Stellarium
out for throughout the year. Great options and SkySafari, which will inform you of Mary McIntyre
the best constellations, meteor showers, is an Oxfordshire-
planets and deep-sky objects to observe based astronomy
speaker and
from your location. Lunescope is a
educator
fantastic lunar observing app. If you enjoy
spotting the International Space Station

W A host of astronomical resources are out

there to help, from magazines and books
to apps like SkySafari and ISS Detector

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 11

 targets
to get you started in
astrophotography
From star trails to your first planets, Tom Kerss shares
10 inspiring projects to kick off your night photography journey

T
here’s a long-standing debate among a better time. Whether it’s taking casual snaps of
amateur astronomers: which is better, the stars or delving into more advanced techniques
observing the sky with your eyes or – what the seasoned called ‘imaging’ – this hobby
capturing it with your camera? It will has seen an explosion of popularity. Increasingly
always be a matter of personal taste, ubiquitous astro-capable cameras and superb
but the good news is that for anyone looking to try software have made astrophotography easier. Want
their hand at astrophotography, there’s never been to try it? Here are 10 targets to get you started. X
Tom Kerss is an
astronomer and
writer. His second
children’s picture
book, The Squirrel
that Found the North
Star, is out now
BOJANSTORY/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

We bring you the tips, techniques

DQGNLW\RXŝOOQHHGWRWDNH\RXUƅUVW
steps into night-sky photography

12 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

Get started in astrophotography

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 13

 Start simple
Nothing is easier than placing your camera or smartphone on a tripod
and shooting away, as you’ll find with these entry-level projects

1. The Milky Way

Capture the river of light that crosses the sky
The warm nights of summer and the early autumn invite us
to stay out and enjoy the splendour of the Milky Way. Rich
with the light of billions of stars, it’s a perfect playground for
experimenting with your camera. Investigate your lenses and
choose a wide one with a fast maximum aperture, such as f/1.4,
f/2.8 or f/4. Angling your camera up to the sky, you should be
able to see various brighter stars on its live view screen. This will
aid with manually focusing and with framing the Milky Way’s
bright core. With an ISO value of 800 or 1600, take exposures
of 5–15 seconds. Star trailing will become evident on longer
exposures, but use the ‘500 rule’ to avoid the shot being spoiled.
This states that your maximum exposure (in seconds) should be
no more than 500 divided by your lens focal length in millimetres.
For example, with a 14mm lens don’t go longer than 500 ÷ 14 = 36
seconds. If your camera has a crop factor (see your user manual),
PXOWLSO\WKHIRFDOOHQJWKE\WKDWƅUVW6RIRUDPPOHQVRQ Our Galaxy’s starry delights
call for a wide lens, dark skies
a DSLR with a 1.6x crop factor, the maximum exposure time
and a long exposure time
becomes 500 ÷ (14 x 1.6) = 22 seconds.

2. Meteors 3. Star trails

Catching shooting stars is mostly down to The arcs of passing stars are a great way
serendipity, but you can give luck a helping hand to show the motion of Earth on its axis
Taking lots of shots at When shooting Whenever you try to shoot a meteor shower, you’ll end up
regular intervals will help the night sky, it’s with perhaps hundreds of identically positioned photographs,
you nab a meteor not uncommon to evenly spaced in time. These are ideal collections from which
capture a streak to create star trail images. Such beautiful works of art illustrate
of light. Usually the rotation of Earth and, as each star in the sky traces its arc
this is a satellite around the celestial pole, the effect becomes more dramatic
trail, but rarely when facing north. Star trails also look fantastic in contrast with
you’ll encounter a a perfectly still foreground, such as a building or rock feature.
natural streak – a There are two excellent, easy-to-use pieces of free software that
meteor! It’s mainly turn your sequences into trails: StarStaX by Markus Enzweiler,
down to chance, which is available for macOS and Windows (markus-enzweiler.
but you can greatly de/software/starstax), and Sequator by Yi-Ruei Wu, which is
increase your odds available for Windows (sites.google.com/view/sequator).
by shooting during a meteor shower and by taking a continuous
sequence of exposures. Using an intervalometer, or timelapse Merge your photos to
remote, you can set your camera going and enjoy the shower get a spectacular image
with your own eyes. Later, skim through your images and see showing Earth’s rotation
ZKDW\RXJHW%ULJKWPHWHRUVVXFKDVƅUHEDOOVZLOOEHKDUGWR
miss and often produce varicoloured trails as they travel through
ALL PICTURES: TOM KERSS

the atmosphere. Your camera may have onboard noise reduction

enabled – switching this off will minimise the gaps between
exposures. Of course, if like me you’re often terribly unlucky, you
might not catch any meteors, but your sequence of identical
images can still be put to good use for creating star trails.

14 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Get started in astrophotography

4. Two worlds together

Shooting both the Moon and Earth
requires a little balance
Of course, our celestial companion makes a
gorgeous subject for photography. The Moon is
probably the easiest target in the sky – conspicuous
and ever-changing, it offers many avenues for
creativity. When the Moon is relatively low on the
horizon, you can capture two worlds in one photo.
Here you’ll discover that the Moon appears very
small through wide-angle lenses; consider using your
longest lens to see how much detail you can tease
out. The Moon shines in very bright contrast against expense of blowing out the Moon. An exception is S A Moon that’s low
a dark sky, which makes it challenging to frame SRVVLEOHGXULQJDƅQHFUHVFHQWSKDVHZKHUHORQJ to the horizon can
among the stars. Underexposed shots will show the exposures can simultaneously reveal stars as well as make a superb, but
Moon’s surface features but fail to bring out stars, the Moon’s faint night side, which is itself illuminated challenging, subject
whereas overexposed shots will recover stars at the by the brightness of Earth.

Going deeper
A tracking device is an essential upgrade for astrophotography,
allowing long exposures and longer lenses to bring out fainter details

Use a fast lens to resolve

the glorious, dense star 6. Jewels of Orion
ƅHOGDURXQG'HQHE
The familiar constellation boasts a host
of fascinating deep-sky objects
The mighty
(YHQLQZLGHƅHOG\RXŝOO
pick up a thrilling Orion will be
amount of detail upon us soon as
in Orion’s Sword the autumn rolls
around. A splendid
tapestry of
colourful stars and
nebulous features,
this constellation
5. Star clouds in Cygnus is home to a chain
of objects called
You can bring out even more detail by Orion’s Sword.
stacking together multiple images Among them is the
Great Nebula in
The brightest region of the Milky Way is its core, but that Orion (M42), which
only skirts our southern horizon; to us, the star clouds of Cygnus is conspicuous
are more prominent. Gazing at the northeast of the Summer in photographs.
7ULDQJOH\RXŝOOƅQG\RXUVHOIORRNLQJDORQJWKHVSLUDODUPZH Using a lens with
inhabit in the Galaxy. A rich concentration of distant light paints a focal length of
the scene around the brilliant star Deneb. On a tracking mount, 50–70mm, you can
use a fast telephoto lens to resolve the many stars. This subject generally frame
provides a good opportunity to try aligning and stacking multiple the most interesting parts of the constellation fully, while also
exposures to reduce noise in your image. Try free tools such as resolving some of the details that make the Sword so special.
Siril (macOS, Windows, Linux; free-astro.org/index.php/Siril) You may be surprised to see the iconic Horsehead Nebula
and DeepSkyStacker (Windows, deepskystacker.free.fr). Even (Barnard 33) clearly visible in your images. Orion’s dramatic
if you’re new to stacking, it’s worth taking lots of images of each colours can be drawn out by stacking images, and correctly
deep-sky target, as you’ll be able to return to the data later on calibrated in tools like AstroPixelProcessor (macOS, Windows,
DQGSURGXFHEHWWHUUHVXOWVZLWKWKHEHQHƅWRI\RXUH[SHULHQFH Linux; www.astropixelprocessor.com). X

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 15

 Snaps through the eyepiece
With a special adaptor, you can use your smartphone to snap
quick shots through your telescope eyepiece

Modern smartphones With a high-power

can produce excellent eyepiece, Venus’s phases
night-sky pictures are a perfect target for
a phone/telescope combo

7. The disc of Venus

Smartphones offer a quick, easy way
to capture our closest planet’s phases
Our nearest neighbouring planet, Venus, is a treat
WKURXJKDWHOHVFRSH$V*DOLOHRƅUVWGLVFRYHUHGRYHU
four centuries ago, it shows changing phases as it
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8. Jupiter and the Galilean moons

Capture the movement of the four moons around the gas giant
While Venus is HVVHQWLDOO\IHDWXUHOHVVLQ DUHYLVLEOHƆDQNLQJWKHSODQHWWKRXJK
DSSHDUDQFH XQOHVVZHXVHVSHFLDOƅOWHUV RQHRUPRUHDUHRIWHQREVFXUHGE\WKH
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Jupiter’s moons are
5HG6SRW3HUKDSVPRUHFRPSHOOLQJ Keep shooting, too – the blurring effects relatively easy to record as
though, are the four large moons that RIDVWURQRPLFDOVHHLQJZLOOEHHYLGHQWDW bright dots of light
DFFRPSDQ\-XSLWHUŚWKH*DOLOHDQ KLJKPDJQLƅFDWLRQVRVRPHVKRWVZLOOEH
PRRQV$WDQ\JLYHQPRPHQWXSWRIRXU sharper than others.

16 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Get started in astrophotography

Your telescope is a lens

Many telescopes can be transformed into a giant lens by attaching
a camera – including DSLRs and mirrorless cameras

9. The Moon up close Upping the

saturation will
Combining your camera with a telescope can add a colourful
dimension to
bring out a view of the Moon that’s usually hidden your Moon shots
Even short telescopesDUHHTXLYDOHQWWRSRZHUIXOWHOHSKRWR
OHQVHVDQGORQJHUVFRSHVJRIDUEH\RQGWKHUDQJHRIIHUHGE\
camera lenses. A 1.5m-focal-length telescope, for example,
can project the face of the Moon across a DSLR sensor, almost
HGJHWRHGJH:LWKWKRXVDQGVRISL[HOVVDPSOLQJLWVUXJJHG
VXUIDFHUHPDUNDEOHGHWDLOVDUHUHYHDOHG2ZLQJWRLWVEULJKWQHVV
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UHVXOWV$QGLWŝVQRWMXVWVSDWLDOGHWDLOVWKDWFRPHLQWRYLHZ
:LWKKLJKUHVROXWLRQLPDJHVRIWKH0RRQZHFDQGUDZRXWLWV
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YLUWXDOO\LPSHUFHSWLEOHWRWKHH\HHYHQZLWKDODUJHWHOHVFRSH
DQGORWVRIREVHUYLQJH[SHULHQFH

10. The Pleiades

With a powerful lens you’ll be able to capture many of the Seven Sisters’ siblings
As with ourHDUOLHUORRNDWGHHSVN\ VKDUSHQ\RXULPDJLQJVNLOOV7KHJRDOLVWR SKRWR(UURUVLQWUDFNLQJDUHSXQLVKLQJEXW
WDUJHWVDSURSHUO\DOLJQHGWUDFNLQJPRXQW GUDZRXWIDLQWHUPHPEHUVRIWKHFOXVWHU WKH3OHLDGHVLVRQHRIWKHEULJKWHVWGHHS
LVHVVHQWLDOZKHQXVLQJ\RXUWHOHVFRSH the rich, blue colour of its prominent VN\REMHFWVDQG\RXŝOOEHDEOHWRJHWDZD\
to capture the stars, but the results are VWDUVDQGWKHGHOLFDWHUHƆHFWLRQQHEXOD with exposures ranging from 10 to 30
ZRUWKWKHHIIRUW8VLQJDIDVWZLGHƅHOG LQLWVYLFLQLW\%\SUDFWLVLQJ\RXUH[SRVXUH VHFRQGVGHSHQGLQJRQ\RXUWHOHVFRSHŝV
WHOHVFRSH\RXFDQWXUQ\RXUFDPHUDLQWR VWDFNLQJDQGLPDJHSURFHVVLQJ\RXŝOOEH DSHUWXUHDQGFDPHUD,62VHWWLQJ+DYH
DSRZHUIXODVWURLPDJLQJWRRODQGWKH DEOHWRWXUQRXWUHVXOWVWKDWGUDPDWLFDOO\ IXQH[SHULPHQWLQJDQGJRRGOXFNZLWK
3OHLDGHVVWDUFOXVWHULVWKHLGHDOWDUJHWWR LPSURYHRQDQ\WKLQJRIIHUHGE\DVLQJOH \RXUƅUVWVWHSVLQDVWURSKRWRJUDSK\

The Pleiades is one to

return to again and again
to draw out more detail
and subtle nebulosity

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 17

Well-chosen eyepieces can bring
out the best from your telescope,
make astronomy a real pleasure
and take your observing from
mediocre to mind-blowing

18 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Build your eyepiece collection

Great eyepieces are crucial to any

astronomical setup. Here Tim Jardine
arms you with the info you need to
choose the best ones to invest in

M
any new telescope 1DJOHUVRUHYHQ.HOOQHUVDQG(UƆHVDQG
packages come with ƅQGHDFKFRVWLQJDQ\ZKHUHEHWZHHQd
a basic eyepiece or two, WRDQH\HZDWHULQJdSOXVŚZKLFKLV
good enough to help perhaps more than the telescope itself!
you get started with +RZHYHULI\RXFDQGHFLSKHUDOOWKHVH
the hobby and familiarise yourself with terms, you should be able to build a well-
your equipment. Plenty of experienced FKRVHQVHOHFWLRQRIIRXURUƅYHH\HSLHFHV
astronomers will hold fond memories WKDWZLOOSURYLGHKLJKTXDOLW\YLHZVRI
RIWKHLUƅUVWYLHZRI-XSLWHURU6DWXUQ HYHU\WKLQJWKHQLJKWVN\KDVWRRIIHUIRU
through these starter eyepieces. But many years to come. X
it doesn’t take long until you start
wondering… how much better would the Tim Jardine is an
@THESHED/PHOTOSTUDIO

YLHZEHWKURXJKDGLIIHUHQWOHQV" experienced
It’s fair to say, though, that the choices astronomer and a
on offer can be bewildering. Especially seasoned telescope
JLYHQWKHQRPHQFODWXUH\RXPLJKWKHDU tester for BBC Sky
of Plössls, orthoscopics, radians and at Night Magazine

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 19

 Types of eyepiece
Wide fields of view
offer an immersive, but
expensive, option
There are a great many types of eyepiece
on offer, but essentially, the difference
EHWZHHQWKHPLVWKHDSSDUHQWƅHOGRI
view. This is measured in degrees as seen
by the observer. The human eye can
see around 180° in the horizontal plane,
and so the closer to this an eyepiece
gets, the more immersive your viewing
experience will be. Generally, the wider the
view on offer, the more complicated the
eyepiece’s design and the higher the price.
You’ll get similar
At the narrower end of the scale, PDJQLƅFDWLRQIURP
orthoscopic and Plössl designs offer these two eyepieces, but
around 40° and 50° views respectively, WKHULJKWKDVDODUJHUƅHOG
and are popular for smaller targets, such of view – and price tag
as planets, lunar craters and double stars.
As a middle-of-the-road option, there breathtaking visuals, but at considerable
are a good variety of lenses available cost. Wide-view eyepieces are especially
between 62° and 82°, such as those useful when observing extended nebulae,
on offer in the Pentax XW and Baader large galaxies and open star clusters.
Morpheus ranges, which can provide very Another factor you’ll need to consider
comfortable wider views. is focal length, sometimes described as
TIM JARDINE X 6, STEVE MARSH

The premium end of the market is the eyepiece’s ‘power’. This determines
occupied by the ultra-wide eyepieces WKHPDJQLƅFDWLRQ\RXŝOOVHHZKLFKPHDQV A 10mm Plössl will
IURP([SORUH6FLHQWLƅFDQG7HOH9XH a 10mm 40° eyepiece will offer the same give detailed views of
offering absorbing 100–120° views through PDJQLƅFDWLRQDVDPP° eyepiece. things like lunar craters
complicated, heavy lenses. These can <RXVKRXOGDOZD\VEHDEOHWRƅQGWKH
really draw you into the scene with focal length of an eyepiece written on its side, in millimetres. We’ll cover how you
FDQZRUNRXWWKHPDJQLƅFDWLRQODWHU
X Focal length, but as a quick guide: the lower the focal
field of view, OHQJWKWKHKLJKHUWKHPDJQLƅFDWLRQ
magnification :KLOHWKHSUHIHUUHGƅHOGRIYLHZFDQEH
and budget are
a matter of personal taste, your telescope
all considerations
when building
will have a much bigger say in which
your collection focal lengths are suitable. There’s no
SRLQWWU\LQJWRIRUFHKXJHPDJQLƅFDWLRQV
from telescopes that can’t support them.
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measured in millimetres, can be doubled
WRJLYH\RXDPD[LPXPPDJQLƅFDWLRQ)RU
example, a 100mm-aperture telescope
FDQEHWDNHQXSWRDPDJQLƅFDWLRQRI
200x, and a 200mm up to 400x.
In practice though, the maximum
XVDEOHPDJQLƅFDWLRQLVOLPLWHGE\(DUWKŝV
turbulent atmosphere. Even on the very
best nights of good seeing, 250x is about
as high as you’ll go for most observing, no
matter the telescope size. When building
your collection, it’s sensible to start
ZLWKDUDQJHRIXVDEOHPDJQLƅFDWLRQV
realistically between 40x and 180x.

20 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Build your eyepiece collection

S A 2-inch eyepiece is likely costlier but usually offers S In addition to flip-down rubber eye cups for glasses wearers, some eyepieces
extended eye relief and more comfortable observing have an extendable twist-and-lock barrel to personalise the eye relief setting

Quantity or quality?
Finding the right fit for you isn’t always just about the price
Experienced observers will likely state ZKHQƅJXUHVDUHTXRWHGIRUH\HUHOLHILWLV astigmatism and remove the need for
that they would rather have one or two more practical to actually use an eyepiece glasses. In that case, seeking the advice of
good-quality eyepieces than a case full to discover whether or not it will be a knowledgeable dealer is recommended.
of inferior ones. Often a favourite lens agreeable to observe with for an extended Social media provides a wealth of
comes to the fore, becoming the go-to time. When purchasing, it can be prudent experienced opinions that can prove
tool for most observation. But it does to check the returns policy of the retailer. helpful when choosing a new eyepiece,
not necessarily follow that the most *ODVVHVZHDUHUVLQSDUWLFXODUZLOOƅQG or deciding which one to save for.
expensive unit is the preferred one. eye relief an important factor. Short- and Astronomy forums can be a great source
Seemingly little things can make all long-sighted astronomers can usually of advice too. Try asking: “My telescope
the difference. Better eyepieces will be adjust for their eyesight with focusing, is an XYZ model. If you could choose
described as fully multi-coated, referring avoiding the need to wear glasses one eyepiece for it, which would it be?”.
WRWKHQRQUHƆHFWLYHFRDWLQJVDSSOLHG when observing. However, those with Hearing real-world recommendations
to the lenses. These coatings improve astigmatism will need to wear their from existing users can be invaluable,
the contrast of your view by reducing JODVVHVDQGVRPD\ƅQGH\HSLHFHVZLWK especially when they can recommend a
UHƆHFWLRQVZLWKLQWKHH\HSLHFH&RQVLGHU adjustable-length barrels and longer budget eyepiece with solid performance
too the actual build of the eyepiece. How eye relief are more comfortable. It is or explain the reasons they feel it’s worth
does it feel in your hands? Does it have a also possible to purchase special lenses investing in the high-end examples with
rubberised element on the body to help IRU7HOH9XHH\HSLHFHVWKDWDGMXVWIRU the hefty price tags. X
with grip? As they will be used with cold
hands in the pitch black, you’ll want an
eyepiece that’s not too slippery or easy
WRGURS'RWKHHQGFDSVƅWZHOODQGVWD\
The pitfalls of zoom eyepieces
on? Are the rubber eye-guards soft and Zoom eyepieces can be twisted to adjust
their focal length, offering a range of
comfortable? Are they replaceable?
magnifications from just the one ocular.
If your telescope focuser supports the If they could offer great views, then a
XVHRILQFKH\HSLHFHV\RXZLOOƅQGWKDW zoom eyepiece would be all that was
they offer a better, more user-friendly needed. But unfortunately, this isn’t the
view at longer focal lengths. They cost case – the ability to quickly switch
PRUHEXW\RXVKRXOGƅQGLWŝVVRRQRIIVHW between magnifications leads to optical
by more enjoyable hours using them. compromises.
A dedicated eyepiece will almost
Another factor that determines the
always provide a better view at
comfort of your viewing experience can comparable focal lengths. Zoom oculars
be the eye relief a given eyepiece offers. can be useful when starting out, to help
Eye relief describes the distance from decide optimal magnifications with
the rear of the lens to the point that your telescope, or perhaps in a shared
presents the maximum image circle viewing session if you don’t want to keep
switching eyepieces. In general, though,
– basically, how close you have to get your S One-lens solutions may cut down faff,
once you build your collection, a zoom
eye to the eyepiece. This can be a quite lens tends to get less and less sky time. but optical quality may be the trade-off
individual element of observing. Even

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 21

 S A medium-power 15–25mm eyepiece is suited to S For large galaxies like Andromeda (above) or the full disc of the Moon, long-
deep-sky objects like M13 (top) and M57 (bottom) focal-length eyepieces of 25–35mm will fit the whole scene in the field of view

Choosing which eyepiece to use

Having the right one ensures your observing will turn out alright on the night
Many of us start out by observing the So as a minimum, two eyepieces X Off-the-shelf
so-called ‘lollipops’ of our Solar System, would seem to be essential. When new scopes typically
EULJKWHDV\WRƅQGREMHFWVOLNHWKH0RRQ telescopes come bundled with eyepieces, come with a pair
of basic starter
6DWXUQDQG-XSLWHU)RUWKHGHHSVN\LWŝV they typically include two: a wider view
eyepieces
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WKHJOREXODUFOXVWHULQ+HUFXOHVRU0 DQGDKLJKHUSRZHURQHLQWKHŚPP
the enchanting Ring Nebula in Lyra which UDQJHIRUPRUHPDJQLƅHGYLHZV
draw the most attention. It’s worth remembering that higher
While you’re attempting to locate these PDJQLƅFDWLRQGRHVQŝWDOZD\VPHDQ
REMHFWVLWFDQEHXVHIXOWRKDYHDZLGHU better views. Of course, some targets are
view. Once pinpointed, you can swap to quite large, such as the Double Cluster
DKLJKHUSRZHUZLWKPRUHPDJQLƅFDWLRQ in Perseus, or the enormous Andromeda
to see more detail on the lunar surface or Galaxy. A more pleasing view of these can
SODQHWV0HDQZKLOHWKHVHVDPHH\HSLHFHV be obtained from a wide view, and longer-
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their surroundings.
:LWKVXFKDKXJHYDULHW\RIGHHSVN\

What about a Barlow? options, having a collection which covers

the whole range, but is biased towards the
Barlow lenses are combined with an eyepiece to W\SHRIWDUJHW\RXƅQGPRVWDSSHDOLQJ
increase magnification by the factor indicated PDNHVDORWRIVHQVH)RUH[DPSOHLI
on the barrel. Most common are 2x and 3x you appreciate the odd star cluster but
Barlows, and with a bit of thought they can
spend more time on Jupiter’s details, then
effectively double your eyepiece collection. Bear
in mind, doubling the magnification means leaning to shorter-focal-length oculars will
halving the eyepiece’s focal length, so with a 2x DOORZ\RXWRJHWDFORVHORRNDWWKHGHWDLOV
Barlow lens a 30mm eyepiece acts like a 15mm, ZKLFKWKHEHVWYLHZVN\FRQGLWLRQVDOORZ
whereas a 3x Barlow would decrease it to 10mm. 0HDQZKLOHLIKXQWLQJRXWGLVWDQWJDOD[LHV
X A Barlow can be a great investment, cleverly LV\RXUWKLQJ\RXZLOOƅQGWKDWDUDQJHRI
doubling the magnification of eyepieces you own ORZHUPDJQLƅFDWLRQZLGHUYLHZVSURYLGH
the sweet spot.

22 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Build your eyepiece collection

Tools to help pick an eyepiece

Don’t worry if you’re getting lost in numbers – there are tools to help
To work outWKHPDJQLƅFDWLRQRIDQ
H\HSLHFH\RXMXVWGLYLGHWKHIRFDOOHQJWK
of your telescope by the focal length
of your eyepiece. However, there are
RWKHUXVHIXOƅJXUHVWRFRQVLGHUZKHQ
determining how an eyepiece will perform,
VXFKDVWKHƅHOGRIYLHZRQRIIHU
Another factor is the size of what is
NQRZQDVWKHH[LWSXSLOZKLFKLQEDVLF
terms is the size of the disc of light
emerging from the rear of your eyepieces.
S Find out the aperture of your telescope’s S There’s a very useful free field-of-view
7RZRUNWKLVRXW\RXŝOOQHHGWKHDSHUWXUH
objective lens to work out its exit pupil size calculator at www.astronomy.tools
RIWKHREMHFWLYHOHQVRI\RXUWHOHVFRSH
which should be written on it, perhaps lower for observing smaller details on DJDLQVWHDFKRWKHU<RXFDQƅQGRQHDW
ODEHOOHGDVŜ'ŝ7DNHWKLVQXPEHUDQG planets. However, any eyepiece or Barlow www.astronomy.tools, along with other
GLYLGHLWE\WKHPDJQLƅFDWLRQRI\RXU combination presenting an exit pupil XVHIXOIUHHDVWURQRP\WRROV,WVƅHOGRI
eyepiece. For most observing, an exit pupil VPDOOHUWKDQPPVKRXOGEHDYRLGHG view calculator has a visual representation
RIŚPPLVPRVWFRPIRUWDEOHDVWKDW 7KDQNIXOO\WKHUHDUHRQOLQHWRROVDQG of what you will see in any given eyepiece
roughly matches the pupil diameter of FDOFXODWRUVDYDLODEOHZKLFKPDNHLWYHU\ and telescope combination, and lists the
your own eye. On nights of good seeing, HDV\WRJDWKHUDOOWKHQHFHVVDU\ƅJXUHV PDJQLƅFDWLRQHIIHFWRID%DUORZH[LW
you may be able to push boundaries even and use them to compare eyepieces pupil size and so on.

Completing your set

When it comes to eyepieces, it’s about what works best for you
X Whether you
colour-coordinate or
just mix and match,
your collection will
be very personal
to you

With all these HOHPHQWVWDNHQLQWR and preferences. However, there is always eyepiece to the telescope! Whichever
FRQVLGHUDWLRQŚƅHOGRIYLHZIRFDOOHQJWK room for more options, and even though it direction your tastes dictate, a well
eye relief, exit pupil, barrel size, observing FDQRQO\EHHQMR\HGGXULQJGD\OLJKWKRXUV thought-out eyepiece assortment will
W\SHDQGVRRQŚDQH\HSLHFHFROOHFWLRQ there is something deeply satisfying NHHS\RXFRPLQJEDFNWRWKHWHOHVFRSH
becomes a very personal thing, tuned to about matching sets of eyepieces, and and allow you to relish all the delights of
your individual requirements, equipment even in matching the colour trim of the WKHQLJKWVN\

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 23

 Take the

Follow in the footsteps

of Patrick Moore and Some of the targets are quite popular, and you’ll have
seen them in The Sky at Night Magazine’s monthly
track down 10 favourite deep-sky and binocular tours, while others are a little
less well-known. Hopefully you’ll be discovering some
targets from the deep-sky RIWKHVHIRUWKHƅUVWWLPH
catalogue he created The minimum size telescope for this challenge is a
4-inch refractor: all of the objects are within reach of

T
he nights of late winter and early spring this size instrument under dark skies. Larger apertures
are ideal for discovering a deeper view will certainly help, of course, revealing hidden details
of the stars, something well known that may otherwise elude you.
to The Sky at Night Magazine’s late We suggest that you attempt the challenge a few
Editor Emeritus, Patrick Moore. He was days either side of new Moon, to avoid interference
ever keen to encourage everyone to look up at the from the Moon’s light. New Moon in January 2025 is
night sky and out into the cosmos, which is why he on the 29th; in February it’s on the 28th; and in March
compiled his very own Caldwell Catalogue. it’s on the 29th.
This challenge we’ve put together is based on this Don’t be caught out by a cold snap and be sure
catalogue of deep-sky objects, from which we’ve to wear suitable warm clothing and have some hot
selected 10 of our favourite objects for you to tour, all drinks on hand. Why not involve some friends and
of which are visible between January and March. Your their telescopes in the challenge and make this a
WDVNLVWRƅQGWKHPDOOLQDVLQJOHREVHUYLQJVHVVLRQ social occasion too? X

The making of Moore’s marathon

HOMER SYKES/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, ROLF GEISSINGER/CCDGUIDE.COM

Why did Patrick produce his own celestial

catalogue, and what targets does it contain?
The Caldwell Catalogue came objects in his list (his full surname
about because Patrick felt that the being Caldwell-Moore). Patrick’s
Messier Catalogue – a list of 110 catalogue contains 109 objects that,
objects originally created to tell unlike Messier’s, are spread across
comet hunters what to avoid – was both the Northern and Southern
somewhat incomplete. So he drew Hemispheres. It includes 28 open
up a list of his favourite objects, all clusters, 18 globulars, 35 galaxies,
Patrick devised his list absent from Charles Messier’s 13 planetary nebulae, 12 bright
in 1995 in response to magnum opus. With the ‘M’ of nebulae, one dark nebula and two
shortcomings in the Moore already taken, Patrick opted supernova remnants, arranged in
Messier Catalogue to use the ‘C’ of Caldwell for the order of declination.

24 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

Take the Caldwell challenge

7KHPDJQLƅFHQW)ODPLQJ6WDU
Nebula or Caldwell 31, one
of our top 10 picks from
Patrick’s Caldwell Catalogue

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 25

 1. NGC 752
Also designated: C28
RA 1h 56m 53s, dec. 37° 47’ 38”

:HVWDUWRXUFKDOOHQJHZLWKDƅQH
binocular object originally discovered by
Caroline Herschel in 1783. Open cluster
Edge-on galaxy NGC 891
C28, also known as NGC 752, lies about is our second target, C23.
one-third of the way between mag. +2.3 Bump up the aperture to
Almach (Gamma (a) Andromedae) and detect its delicate dust lane
the apex star in the constellation of
Triangulum, mag. +3.4 Mothallah (Alpha
(_) Trianguli). It can be easily found by
sweeping between the two stars and,
at almost two billion years old, this is
one of the oldest star clusters known.
Binoculars will show in the region of 30
widely scattered stars, although a rich-
ƅHOGWHOHVFRSHDWORZPDJQLƅFDWLRQLV
the best way to really enjoy this lovely
object, revealing in excess of 60 individual
member stars, more than a dozen of
which are brighter than mag. +10.0.

2. NGC 891
Also designated: C23
RA 2h 22m 36s, dec. 42° 21’ 00”

Moving nearly 7° northeast now, your

second object lies one-third of the way Beautiful through binoculars
along a line joining the stars Almach and and a sublime sight with a
mag. +2.1 Algol (Beta (`) Persei). We’re scope, the Double Cluster, C14
looking for mag. +9.9 edge-on galaxy NGC
891, and although it is visible in a 4-inch vision. It is worth lingering here a little, Handle, referencing the jewel-encrusted
telescope, its low surface brightness as more and more detail will be revealed sword given to Perseus by Athena and
means you may need to use averted as your eye becomes accustomed to the Hermes to help him behead the Gorgon
GOTTHARDT/CCDGUIDE.COM, BERNHARD HUBL/CCDGUIDE.COM, CHART BY PETE LAWRENCE

view. If you can increase your aperture Medusa (the latter is represented by the
MICHAEL BREITE/STEFAN HEUTZ/WOLFGANG RIES/CCDGUIDE.COM X 2, BERNHARD

DQGXSWKHPDJQLƅFDWLRQWRDURXQG star Algol). The individual clusters are

120x, with careful scrutiny you should DƅQHVLJKWWKURXJKELQRFXODUVDQGFDQ
discern a slender dark dust lane bisecting be seen with the naked eye from a dark
the galaxy. This object was originally location. A binocular sweep between
discovered by William Herschel in 1784, mag. +3.9 Tau (o) Persei and mag. +2.7
and it is believed to be over 30 million Ruchbah (Delta (b) Cassiopeiae) will easily
lightyears away from us. ƅQGWKHP1*&WKHPRUHHDVWHUO\RI
the two, contains numerous white-blue
3. Double Cluster stars, whereas NGC 869 is dimmer and
Also designated: C14, NGC 869 & NGC 884 more compact.
RA 2h 19m 00s, dec. 57° 9’ 00”
4. The Owl Cluster
Continuing our journey into Perseus, your Also designated: C13, NGC 457
next target is a real treat: two objects for RA 1h 19m 6s, dec. 58° 20’ 00”
the price of one! NGC 869 and NGC 884
S The Owl Cluster, C13 in Patrick’s list, are popularly known as the Double Cluster We leave Perseus and continue into
should be an easy hop from Ruchbah today; in antiquity it was the Sword Cassiopeia, a constellation named after a

26 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 $1'520('$
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queen who vainly boasted of her unrivalled

Dark skies will help you
beauty. There is real beauty here, though, track down the soft glow
with the aptly named Owl Cluster of NGC 188, or C1 in the
– although it is also sometimes referred to Caldwell Catalogue
as the ET Cluster because its shape has
been said to resemble the alien from the
ƅOPRIWKHVDPHQDPH7KHEULJKWHVWVWDU
visible in the cluster is one of the Owl’s
eyes, mag. +5.0 Phi (q) Cassiopeiae. It lies
2° southwest of Ruchbah, so is quite easy
WRƅQG,QWUXWKEULJKWUHG3KL&DVVLRSHLDH
is not actually a member of the cluster
at all, but a foreground star. All the same,
it certainly adds to the view through
binoculars or a small scope.

5. NGC 188
Also designated: C1
RA 0h 47m 11s, dec. 85° 14’ 38”
mounts as locating objects this close to that you might have expected. With a
Once you tick off this next object you’ll be WKHSROHFDQEHDELWƅGGO\%XWZKDWŝV magnitude of +8.1, it’s not a naked-eye
halfway through the challenge. Located an observing challenge without a bit of object, but a 4-inch telescope at 30x
just 4° to the south of the Pole Star, challenge? Unusually for an open cluster, PDJQLƅFDWLRQZLOOUHYHDOLWDVDVWUHWFKHG
Polaris, open cluster NGC 188 is often this one comprises many older stars, more scattering of stars set against a brighter
ignored by observers with equatorial yellow than the hot, white, young stars circular core. X

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 27

 Larger scopes will reveal
arms gleaming with new
star formation in C7, the
S The lonely Intergalactic Wanderer, C25,
spiral galaxy NGC 2403
at 275,000 lightyears away is a challenge

DGLVWDQFHRIDURXQGOLJKW\HDUV
/RRNIRULWpWRWKHQRUWKRIPDJ
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GLIƅFXOWREMHFWLQDLQFKWHOHVFRSHEXW
DLQFKRUODUJHUZLOOUHYHDOLWV
condensed core and patchy halo.

8. NGC 2392
Also designated: C39
RA 7h 29m 12s, dec. 20° 55’ 0”

:HFRQWLQXHRXUMRXUQH\VRXWKLQWR
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Big aperture and transparent WHOHVFRSHZLWKDGLDPHWHURIRQO\
skies will get the best from the DUFVHFRQGV\RXŝOOQHHGDWOHDVWDLQFK
Flaming Star Nebula, C31
telescope to show the true shape of the
QHEXOD$LQFKRUODUJHULQVWUXPHQW
6. NGC 2403 pZHVWRIPDJ0XVFLGD 2PLFURQ will reveal a host of other delicate details,
Also designated: C7 k 8UVDH0DMRULV $LQFKWHOHVFRSHZLOO LQFOXGLQJWZRGLVWLQFWVKHOOVŚDEULJKWLQQHU
RA 7h 36m 54s, dec. 65° 36’ 0” show an elongated hazy patch, but you mottled region with an outer faint halo,
ZLOOQHHGDLQFKWHOHVFRSHWRYLHZWKH VHSDUDWHGE\DGDUNULQJ7KHQHEXODŝV
BERNHARD HUBL/CCDGUIDE.COM X 2, FRANZ KLAUSER/CCDGUIDE.COM,

We are halfway through, so now is a spiral arms. YHU\GLVWLQFWLYHDSSHDUDQFHZDVQŝWORVWRQ

good time to take a break and warm :LOOLDP+HUVFKHOZKRGHVFULEHGLWDVşD
WOLFGANG PROMPER/CCDGUIDE.COM, CHART BY PETE LAWRENCE

up with a hot drink as you prepare for 7. The Intergalactic Wanderer very remarkable phenomenon” when he
WKHVHFRQGVWLQW2XUƅUVWREMHFWLQWKH Also designated: C25, NGC 2419 GLVFRYHUHGLWLQ
ƅQDOUXQLVVSLUDOJDOD[\1*&LQ RA 7h 38m 6s, dec. 38° 53’ 0”
&DPHORSDUGDOLV,WKDVDQDSSHDUDQFH 9. The Flaming Star Nebula
very similar to that of the Triangulum $TXLFNKRSVRXWKZDUGVLQWR/\Q[ZLOO Also designated: C31, IC 405
*DOD[\ZLWKQXPHURXV+,,VWDUIRUPLQJ take us to a distant globular cluster RA 5h 16m 12s, dec. 34° 16’ 0”
regions within its two layers of spiral arms. NQRZQDVWKH,QWHUJDODFWLF:DQGHUHUDV
Shining at mag. +8.9, this is one of the it was originally believed to be located $OWKRXJKRXUQH[WREMHFWLVDQ
EULJKWHVWJDOD[LHVLQWKHVN\ŚEXWDJDLQ RXWVLGHWKHJUDYLWDWLRQDOLQƆXHQFHRIWKH DVWURSKRWRJUDSKHUŝVGUHDPLWLVPRUH
OLNHWKH7ULDQJXOXP*DOD[\LWLVODUJHDQG 0LON\:D\ VRPHWKLQJZHQRZNQRZWR challenging for observers. The Flaming
WKDWEULJKWQHVVLVVSUHDGRXW1*&LV be untrue). Discovered by William 6WDU1HEXODOLHVpHDVWQRUWKHDVWRI
somewhat isolated in sparsely populated +HUVFKHOLQ'HFHPEHUWKLVFOXVWHULV PDJ+DVVDOHK ,RWD f $XULJDH DQG
&DPHORSDUGDOLV<RXFDQƅQGLWMXVWXQGHU one the remotest globulars ever found, at LVDGHOLJKWIXOPL[RIERWKUHƆHFWLRQDQG

28 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

CAMELOPARDALIS
Capella
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emission nebulosity. The star responsible shape, and although it is illuminated

IRUJHQHUDWLQJDOOWKHHQHUJ\LV+' at its head by the T Tauri variable star
which can be clearly seen at the heart of 50RQRFHURWLVLWVYDULDELOLW\GRHVQŝW
WKHQHEXOD+RZHYHUWKLVVWDULVKHUHE\ H[DFWO\PDWFKWKDWRIWKHVWDU7KLV
FKDQFHLWŝVMXVWSDVVLQJWKURXJKRQLWV unusual behaviour is caused by
ORQJMRXUQH\DZD\IURPDFDWDFO\VPLF dust clouds orbiting close to
interaction with the Trapezium stars in the star, blocking its light and
WKH2ULRQ1HEXODLQWKHGLVWDQWSDVW7KH casting shadows across the
roughly triangular shape of the nebula QHEXOD/RFDWHGpVRXWK
FDQEHGLVFHUQHGWKURXJKDLQFKRU VRXWKZHVWRIPDJ$O]LUU
ODUJHUWHOHVFRSHEXW+'GRPLQDWHV ;L j *HPLQRUXP LWLVYLVLEOH
WKHYLHZ7U\ƅWWLQJDK\GURJHQEHWDƅOWHU LQDLQFKWHOHVFRSHWKRXJK
to your scope to tame the star. WKHQHEXODŝVFXUYHGZHGJH
shape is more clearly revealed
10. Hubble’s Variable Nebula WKURXJKDQLQFKWHOHVFRSHDW
Also designated: C46, NGC 2261 DURXQG[PDJQLƅFDWLRQ
RA 6h 39m 12s, dec. 8° 44’ 0”
RA/dec. positions correct for J2000.0
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Steve Richards
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is an experienced
+XEEOHŝV9DULDEOH1HEXODIURPDVHULHV astronomer and
RILPDJHVFDSWXUHGE\(GZLQ+XEEOH astrophotographer S Your final challenge is to locate the
LQ-DQXDU\7KHQHEXODFKDQJHV curious triangular-shaped nebulosity
LQEULJKWQHVVDQGWRDOHVVHUH[WHQW of Hubble’s Variable Nebula, C46

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 29

 Equipment round-up

BEST OF Over the past 12

months, we tested
31 different items
$//3+2726ƍ7+(6+('3+272678',2

of astronomical
equipment. Here are
ƅYHRIWKHƅQHVWWR
have passed through
our labs.

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

30 skyatnightmagazine.com
30
 Equipment round-up

The ZWO Seestar S50 is a compact

smart telescope, with a 50mm
apochromatic refractor and focal length
ZWO Seestar
of 250mm (f/5). It’s the S50’s low price
that sets it apart.
The S50’s lightweight, compact design
S50 smart scope
lends itself well to portability. Fully An enjoyable budget all-in-one that almost does everything
charged it has a stated battery life of six
hours, likely to be less under cold
conditions or when the scope’s internal
Electronic focusing
dew heater is turned on. The S50 auto-focuses on its targets and does this well. There’s an
Operated via a smartphone or tablet, option to display focus adjustments on your device screen, which
the S50 needs the Seestar iOS or Android allows you to manually adjust and record the optimum setting if
app installed. The app automatically you feel you can do better. The ability to pinch-zoom a target on
VHOHFWVWKHOLJKWSROOXWLRQƅOWHUIRUFHUWDLQ screen to magnify our adjustments is also useful.
targets, but you can override it. Recent
app updates include enhanced image Seestar control app
stacking. Targets can be selected from
the Seestar app’s recommendations or via The straightforward app for iOS and
Android includes a virtual sky atlas, S50
a planetarium-style interface.
settings options, telescope modes, focus/
Once selected, the S50 moves
auto-focus, positional tweaks and access to
automatically to the target. Only a few a user community. It also shows the battery
positional tweaks are needed to centre level and acts as the view screen for your
the target, then ‘Goto success’ is live-stacked images. Access to multi-
displayed in the app to show it’s ready to session stacking options is also provided.
start taking pictures. Different exposure
lengths are available, but 10 seconds is
adequate. The S50 live-stacks each
exposure, and has an internal dual-band Dual-band
2,,,DQG+DOSKD OLJKWSROOXWLRQƅOWHUIRU
imaging emission nebulae.
filter
Some potential disadvantages: the 7KH6HHVWDU6LVƅWWHGZLWK
XQLWŝVQDUURZƅHOGRIYLHZSRUWUDLW an internal dual-band
orientation of the sensor, meaning larger OLJKWSROOXWLRQƅOWHUWKDWFDQ
targets are sometimes truncated or less be switched off or on.
WKDQRSWLPDOO\IUDPHGDQGLWLVDOWD] :LWKRXWWKHƅOWHUOLJKWWRWKH
IMX462 sensor passes
Internal
mounted but emulates equatorial motion
via software and stepper motors, resulting
WKURXJKDQ,5FXWƅOWHU7KH storage
OLJKWSROOXWLRQƅOWHUSDVVHV
in noisy corner regions of stacked images The S50 provides
narrowband wavelengths
captured over long integration times. The centred on OIII and H-alpha, 64GB of internal
S50’s short focal length also doesn’t allow with pass bandwidths of storage. This is
detailed images of planets, rendering only 30nm and 20nm respectively. used to save raw
a small, basic view of Jupiter and its two videos of the Sun
main belts. But it was good for overview and Moon that can
shots of the Moon and Sun. Tripod later be stacked
using registration-stacking
In summary, the Seestar S50 offers a
The S50 comes with a light, software such as
fast set-up for beginners and
sturdy tripod that extends AutoStakkert! Excitingly,
professionals, enabling reasonable- there is also an option to
from a height of 275mm to a
quality imaging of deep-sky and larger VDYHLQGLYLGXDO),76ƅOHV
maximum 363mm. Each
Solar System objects at a good price. adjustable leg has two which can then be
Even better, it’s a lot of fun to use. sections and a rotary extracted and
locking mechanism is processed using
used for levelling external programs.
Vital statistics the telescope. The
• Price £539 S50 unit is
• Optics 50mm triplet apo refractor connected to the
• Focal length 250mm, f/5 tripod via a
• Power 6,000 mAh battery 3/8-inch screw
• Weight 2.5kg thread.
• www.365astronomy.com

Verdict +++++

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 31

 Focuser
0DGHRIUREXVWDQGƅUPUXEEHUWKHFHQWUDOO\ORFDWHGIRFXVHUKDV
large ridges that offer plenty of grip, allowing easy focus even if
wearing gloves or with cold hands. It has just the right amount of
tension, allowing precise movements without the risk of accidental
nudges or slippage.

Diopter adjustment
The Skymaster Pro ED binoculars have a diopter
RQWKHULJKWKDQGH\HSLHFHIRUƅQHWXQLQJIRFXV
Thanks to the two large, ridged tabs, this was
easy to locate with the binoculars raised to our
eyes, and we found that the movement to adjust
ZDVƅUP\HWVPRRWK

1.25-inch threaded
eyepieces
Each eyepiece is threaded to enable 1.25-inch
DVWURQRPLFDOƅOWHUVWREHƅWWHG7KLVDOORZVWKH
XVHRIOLJKWSROOXWLRQƅOWHUVLIKHDGLQJWR
EULJKWHUORFDWLRQVRU8+7ƅOWHUVIRULQFUHDVHG
contrast while perusing nebulous regions. Of
FRXUVHDƅOWHULVUHTXLUHGIRUHDFKH\HSLHFHVR
Carry case these must be purchased in pairs.

Lens caps Supplied as standard is a sturdy

nylon bag that holds the
The front lenses are protected by secure binoculars securely. The bag
individual rubber caps that attach to the and the large strap enables the
binoculars with rubber bands. However, binoculars to be transported
these can be easily removed if preferred safely to dark-sky sites. On the
while stargazing. The eyepieces are covered rear of the bag is a pair of
by rubber caps joined in the centre and sturdy hoops for attaching it to
have hoops that allow them to be a backpack if hiking.
connected to the carry strap.

Celestron SkyMaster Pro

ED 15x70 binoculars
This popular big-magnification pair gets even better with a lens upgrade
Celestron’s popular SkyMaster 15x70s VN\ZDVZHOOSODFHGIRURXUƅUVWWHVW7KH 'HVSLWHKROGLQJWKHELQRFXODUVZLWKRXW
have been updated to include extra-low lunar views we received were excellent, a tripod, we enjoyed exceptional views
GLVSHUVLRQ (' JODVVOHQVHV The ZLWKVKDUSGHWDLOVKLJKOLJKWLQJWKHFUDWHUV WKURXJKRXWWKHVHVVLRQDOWKRXJKIRU
ELQRFXODUVDUHZHOOPDGHZLWKVQXJƅWWLQJ DQGQRQRWDEOHFRORXUIULQJLQJ1HDUE\ ORQJHURUPRUHGHWDLOHGREVHUYLQJZH
DQGUREXVWFDSV7KHPDLQERG\LV was the Beehive Cluster, M44, which not ZRXOGUHFRPPHQGPRXQWLQJWKHP
FRQWRXUHGZLWKJULSS\SURWHFWLYHUXEEHU RQO\ƅWWHGRXUƅHOGRIYLHZHDVLO\EXW RQDVWXUG\WULSRG7KH&HOHVWURQ
FRDWLQJV7KHFHQWUDOO\ORFDWHGIRFXV SUHVHQWHGVWXQQLQJYLHZVRIWKHEULJKWHU 6N\0DVWHU3UR('[ELQRFXODUV
ZKHHOKDGDƅUP\HWVPRRWKDFWLRQ7KH VWDUVGHVSLWHDEULJKW0RRQEHLQJLQ H[FHOOHGDWHYHU\WDUJHWZHWULHGDQG
ODUJHPPDSHUWXUHOHQVHVDOORZSOHQW\ SUR[LPLW\6WDUVZHUHURXQGDQGWLJKWZLWK ZRXOGPDNHDJUHDWDGGLWLRQWRDQ\RQHŝV
RIOLJKWJDWKHULQJ)RUSURWHFWLRQWKHJODVV QRGLVWRUWLRQVRUDEHUUDWLRQVYLVLEOH REVHUYLQJNLW
LVUHFHVVHGZLWKLQWKHEDUUHOE\DIHZ 7KHEULJKWHUVWDUVZLWKLQWKH
centimetres, while the internal barrel is FRQVWHOODWLRQ&DVVLRSHLDIXUWKHU
ULGJHGWRUHGXFHUHƆHFWLRQV FRQƅUPHGWKHH[FHOOHQWRSWLFDOTXDOLW\RI Vital statistics
$//3+2726ƍ7+(6+('3+272678',2

'HVSLWHWKHNJZHLJKWWKHELQRFXODUV WKH6N\0DVWHU3UR('VZKLFKDOORZHGWKH • Price £319.99

DUHVWLOOFRPIRUWDEOHDQGHDV\WRKROG FRQWUDVWLQJVWDUFRORXUVWRUHDOO\VWDQGRXW • Optics ED glass, fully multicoated
VWHDG\7KHWZLVWDEOHH\HFXSVDOORZXS DVZHVFDQQHGWKHVNLHV7KLVFRQWUDVW • Aperture 70mm
WRPPRIH\HUHOLHIPHDQLQJWKH\FDQ was particularly noticeable while we • 0DJQLƅFDWLRQ 15x
EHHQMR\HGE\DVWURQRPHUVZLWKJODVVHV REVHUYHGWKH'RXEOH&OXVWHULQ3HUVHXV • Weight 2.1kg
• Tel 01603 486413
$GMXVWLQJWKHELQRFXODUVLVHDV\VRWKDW The clusters appeared to have been
• www.wexphotovideo.com
the distance between the exit pupils is VSULQNOHGDFURVVRXUYLHZZLWKWKHIDLQWHU
FRUUHFWIRUWKHH\HV
$LOOXPLQDWHG0RRQKLJKLQWKH
UHGVWDUVSUHVHQWLQJEHDXWLIXOO\DJDLQVW
WKHLUEOXHUFRXQWHUSDUWV
Verdict +++++

32 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Equipment round-up

Askar V apo modular telescope kit

A refined refractor with swapable lenses that offers remarkable flexibility
This optical tube assembly 27$ ZLWK &KDQJLQJEHWZHHQWKHOHQVHVLVVLPSOH ƆDWWHQHUSRVWSURFHVVLQJUHYHDOHGQR
LQWHUFKDQJHDEOHOHQVHVRIIHUVERWKD ŚWKH9DQG9VFUHZRQWRWKHPDLQ QRWLFHDEOHYLJQHWWHHYHQIRUIXOOIUDPH
PP Ŝ9ŝ DQGDQPP Ŝ9ŝ WULSOHW WXEH7KHƆDWWHQHUUHGXFHUDQGH[WHQGHU LPDJHV:HSUHIHUUHGXVLQJWKH9RUWKH
UHIUDFWRURSWLRQSOXVWKHRSSRUWXQLW\WR FRPHZLWKWKHFRUUHFWVSDFLQJIRUERWK 9ZLWKWKHƆDWWHQHUDGGHGDVWKDWŝV
FKDQJHEHWZHHQWKHVHWZRIRFDOOHQJWKV REMHFWLYHVDQQRWDWHGUHTXLULQJDVLPSOH ZKHUHWKH$VNDU9SHUIRUPHGEHVW
GXULQJDVLQJOHLPDJLQJVHVVLRQ+DYLQJ a WZLVWWRKLWWKHFRUUHFWPDUNHU However, the provided reducer and
ƅHOGƆDWWHQHUIRFDOOHQJWKH[WHQGHUDQG 'HVSLWHWKHZLGHƅHOGRQWKH9VWDUV H[WHQGHUVGLGRIIHUDIDQWDVWLFOHYHORI
UHGXFHUIRUERWKWKH9DQG9 DSSHDUHGURXQGIURPHGJHWRHGJH:H ƆH[LELOLW\IRUWKHSULFHSRLQW
FRPSRQHQWVPHDQVDFFHVVWRVL[IRFDO slewed over to the Moon and resolved 2YHUDOOWKH$VNDU9LVDJUHDWLPDJLQJ
OHQJWKVDFURVVWKHFRPELQDWLRQV$ORQH VRPHSOHDVLQJGHWDLOVRQWKHOXQDU UHIUDFWRUIRUDOOOHYHOVDWDJRRGSULFH
WKH9SOXVUHGXFHUKDVDIRFDOOHQJWKRI VXUIDFH3RSSLQJRXUIXOOIUDPH'6/5RQ
PPDWDIDVWIDQGZLWKWKH ZHWRRNDIHZVQDSVWRVWDFNODWHU
extender attached this increases to 6ZLWFKLQJWRWKH9WKHƅHOGZDV Vital statistics
PP7KHPPZLWKUHGXFHUKDVD H[WUHPHO\ƆDW6ZDSSLQJWKHH[WHQGHUIRU • Price £1,798
IRFDOOHQJWKRIPPLQFUHDVLQJWR WKHƆDWWHQHUZDVHDV\,WZDVRQO\ZKHQ • Optics Triplet apo refractor
PPZLWKWKHH[WHQGHU ZHSDLUHGWKH9ZLWKWKHUHGXFHUWKDW • Aperture 60mm and 80mm
7KHEXLOGDQGTXDOLW\RIHDFKHOHPHQW ZHQRWHGVWDUEORDWLQJLQWKHRXWHUWKLUG • Focal length 360mm or 500mm
LVƆDZOHVV7KHGXVWFDSVDUHDOOPHWDO RIWKHLPDJHDOWKRXJKWKH\VWD\HGURXQG • Extras Reducer, flattener and
while the lens caps screw rather than slide Once we paired the V60 with the extender, tube rings and dovetail
• www.firstlightoptics.com
RQ7KHUHLVDOVRDEHDXWLIXOO\PDFKLQHG reducer we had more noticeable
FRYHUIRUWKHƅQHIRFXVDGMXVWPHQWNQRE
DQGHYHQDGXVWEORZHUIRUWKHOHQVHV
FXUYDWXUHVZDSSLQJIRURXUFURSVHQVRU
YDULDQWUHGXFHGWKLV$IWHUXVLQJWKH
Verdict +++++

Carry handle and mounting points

Attached to the tube ring is a handle for safe and secure carrying of the OTA. This
doubles as a mounting point for a guidescope – an essential part of many
astrophotographers’ kit. An additional mounting point to the side of the OTA is
VXSSOLHGIRUDJXLGHFDPHUDRUƅQGHUVFRSH

Optical accessories
6HSDUDWHƆDWWHQHUUHGXFHUDQGH[WHQGHUV
are provided with the Askar V as
standard, with spacings provided for
ERWKREMHFWLYHOHQVHV7KLVPHDQVVL[
different focal lengths are available when
WKHUHGXFHURUWKHH[WHQGHULVDWWDFKHGWR
HLWKHUREMHFWLYHZKLOHWKHƆDWWHQHU
LPSURYHVƅHOGFXUYDWXUHIRUHDFK

Dual-speed focuser
Tube ring and High-precision focusing is key to getting the most from our
DVWURSKRWRVDQGWKH$VNDU9ŝVƅQHIRFXVKHOSVDFKLHYHWKLV
dovetail %RWKIRFXVNQREVDUHEHDXWLIXOO\PDFKLQHGDQGSURYLGHDƅUP
EXWƆXLGPRYHPHQWZLWKQRVODFN7KHLQWHJUDWHGƅHOG
7KH$VNDU9FRPHVUHDG\ƅWWHG rotator makes it easy to manage camera orientation.
with a wide, robust tube ring
that is easy to unclamp from
the OTA. A long dovetail bar is
Carry case
SURYLGHGZKLFKZLOOƅWVWDQGDUG A padded carry case houses the main OTA plus all the
HTXDWRULDOPRXQWV+RZHYHU standard accessories, making the Askar V easy to
this can also be unscrewed and transport. Each element is securely housed. There is room
the shorter foot used to give for an electronic autofocuser (EAF), with a removeable foam
additional mounting options. section should you wish to add this accessory to your kit.

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 33

 Filter screw threads
On the underside of every eyepiece is a screw thread
IRULQFKƅOWHUVVXFKDVFRORXURUKLJKFRQWUDVW
YDULHWLHV6XFKƅOWHUVFDQEHXVHGWRHOHYDWHDQ
DVWURQRP\VHVVLRQE\ERRVWLQJFRQWUDVWVDQG
HQKDQFLQJGHWDLOVRUUHGXFLQJDEHUUDWLRQV

Lightweight design Rubber eye-cups

(DFKH\HSLHFHFRPHVƅWWHGZLWKDVRIW
:HOOGHVLJQHGH\HSLHFHVDUHQRWMXVWJUHDWWR
UXEEHUH\HFXSIRUPD[LPXPYLHZLQJ
ORRNWKURXJKEXWHDV\WRKDQGOHZLWKJORYHG
FRPIRUW7KHVHJXLGHREVHUYHUVWRWKH
KDQGVRULQORZOLJKW:LWKZHLJKWVWKDWUDQJH
IURPRQO\JWRJDFURVVWKHVHWWKHULVNRI
EHVWUHVWLQJSRVLWLRQSURYLGLQJDQ Dust caps
RSWLPLVHGYLHZLQJH[SHULHQFH
GURSSLQJWKHPLVUHGXFHG(DFKH\HSLHFHKDVD .HHSLQJH\HSLHFHVGXVWIUHHLV
0HDQZKLOHIRUWKHKLJKSRZHUHG
ULGJHWRVKRZZKHQLWLVVORWWHGLQWRWKHGLDJRQDO HVVHQWLDOWRPDLQWDLQLQJSHUIRUPDQFH
YHUVLRQVWKHFXSVFDQEHIROGHGGRZQWR
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1.25-inch barrels
Each eyepiece has a 1.25-inch chrome-
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Masuyama 1.25-inch 53 eyepieces

Eight high-end eyepieces that open up heavenly views – for a premium price tag
Masuyama’s offering of 53° eyepieces and we resolved some lovely detail among UHPDLQHGVKDUSHYHQDW[
covers a great range, from a long focal WKHPLVWVXUURXQGLQJWKH7UDSH]LXP(\H PDJQLƅFDWLRQ1H[WZHSRSSHGLQWKH
length 30mm down to a punchy 5mm. relief continued to be excellent through 5mm. With an aperture of 101mm, the
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ZHZHUHFXULRXVDERXWƅHOGLOOXPLQDWLRQ KHDGHGWRWKH'RXEOH&OXVWHULQ3HUVHXV for this focal length is about 200x,
and eye relief versus narrower variants. 7KHƅHOGRIYLHZUHPDLQHGEHDXWLIXOO\ƆDW whereas the 5mm pushes to 220x, and we
There isn’t an option to purchase all eight from edge to edge, with no distortions, were pleased with the results.
H\HSLHFHVDVDVHW,QVWHDGZHUHFHLYHG allowing us to enjoy a pleasingly 2YHUDOOWKHVH0DVX\DPDH\HSLHFHV
them within a single parcel, each immersive view for 53°. As we stepped up more than impressed us. Bearing in mind
individually packaged in smart boxes. the power, we were impressed to discover their cost, these are eyepieces to cherish,
Armed with our 81mm refractor, we that the eyepieces appeared to be at not relegate to a forgotten kitbag.
started with the lowest power, inserting least close to parfocal, barely requiring
the 30mm for star alignment. Popping UHIRFXV(\HUHOLHIZDVOHVVIRUJLYLQJDW
over to Vega, we were greeted by a superb 7.5mm, which could be challenging for Vital statistics
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ƅHOGRIYLHZWKDWZDVZHOOLOOXPLQDWHG glasses wearers. • Price £185 each (for 5mm–20mm),

from edge to edge. Alignment completed, 8VLQJDPPIRFDOOHQJWKWKH £195 each (for 25mm and 30mm)
we slewed to Albireo with the 25mm, 30mm, 25mm and 20mm eyepieces • Lens design Ortho Plössl
enjoying exquisite colour contrasts SURYLGLQJ[[DQG[PDJQLƅFDWLRQ  • Optical elements 5
between the gold and blue stars. This was proved again to be excellent for star • Weight 60g, 70g, 80g, 90g, 100g,
120g, 115g, 140g
repeated at 20mm and 15mm, the optics alignment. With the 15mm, the
• www.firstlightoptics.com
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Verdict +++++

34 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Equipment round-up

Altair Astro Hypercam 585C colour camera

From nebulae to the Moon, this jack-of-all-trades does it all for under £500
The 585C may well be the answer to a and red hydrogen jet areas of the galaxy +\SHUFDP&HQDEOHGXVWRWDNH
question many astronomers ask: “What were impressive. thousands of frames and skim off the
single camera can photograph nebulae, 1H[WVKRUWIDVWH[SRVXUHVXVLQJWKH blurry ones, leaving a sharp, high-contrast
JDOD[LHVSODQHWVDQGWKH0RRQ"Š 0RRQDQG-XSLWHUDVWKHWDUJHWV%\ image with good resolution.
While the ideal telescope for deep-sky selecting a smaller region of interest than ,QDQLGHDOZRUOGZHZRXOGKDYHD
viewing would be a short-focal-length WKHIXOO[SL[HOVDYDLODEOHZH different telescope and camera
refractor, time and weather constraints IRXQGWKH+\SHUFDP&ZDVEULQJLQJ combination to match each target. But, in
meant we opted for a larger refractor to KRPHRYHUIUDPHVSHUVHFRQG ISV  the real world, the well priced Hypercam
which we could add a Barlow for lunar and FDSWXULQJ-XSLWHUŝVPRRQ,RMXVWJUD]LQJ &RIIHUVJUHDWUHVXOWVIURPGHHSVN\WR
planetary imaging, while accepting the the edge of the planet’s disc in a very Solar System objects.
compromise on image scale for the short time. With a one-shot-colour
deep-sky images. FDPHUDOLNHWKH&DOOWKHGDWDLV
(YHQZLWKWKHORZHVWJDLQVHWWLQJWKH gathered at once; no need for separate Vital statistics
+\SHUFDP&ZDVUHDOO\UHVSRQVLYHVR 5*%ƅOWHUV7KLVLVDQHDV\FDPHUDWRXVH • Price £359
we took half an hour’s worth of 30-second )RURXUOXQDULPDJHZHFKRVHDQ • Sensor IMX585 STARVIS 2 BSI
exposures to retain detail around the LQWHUHVWLQJTXDUWHURIWKH0RRQZLWK • Resolution 8.3MP, 3,840 x 2,160 pixels
7UDSH]LXPDUHDLQWKH2ULRQ1HEXOD7KH nicely lit craters and good variance • Exposure range 0.1ms–1,000 seconds
resulting stacked image had lots of detail between the lightest and darkest areas, • Size 80mm x 65mm
in the faint areas. The next target was XVLQJWKHZKROHRIWKH&026FKLSIRUWKH • Weight 295g
• www.altairastro.com
0WKH&LJDU*DOD[\)RUWKLVGLPPHU capture. Our mid-range laptop was
target we chose three-minute exposures.
Once again, the detail in the dusty lanes
averaging 22fps in full-resolution 16-bit
mode. The quick response of the
Verdict +++++

Software
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512MB DDR
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Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 35

 DISCOVER
night
More great
in BC Sk y
B
sk y events
gazine’s
at Night Ma
Sk y Guid e
mo n
e
th
The night sky
ach

month by month
Astronomy expert
Pete Lawrence
presents The Sky
at Night on BBC
Four and writes
BBC Sky at Night
Magazine’s
monthly Sky Guide

Your guide to the stars throughout the year

by Pete Lawrence
38 January 56 May 76 September
Quadrantid meteor shower peak Unusual shadow transit of Titan A busy month for the Moon

42 February 62 June 80 October

A spectacular month for planets Noctilucent cloud displays Catch the Harvest supermoon

48 March 66 July 84 November

A solar and lunar eclipse Close pass of Saturn and Neptune A comet crosses the Beehive

52 April 70 August 90 December

The Moon occults the Pleiades The planets put on a show Two moonless meteor showers

Key to monthly star charts

Use this key to get the most out of each month’s detailed star chart

Arcturus STAR NAME DOUBLE STAR METEOR RADIANT

PERSEUS CONSTELLATION NAME VARIABLE STAR
let

ASTERISM
rc

GALAXY MILKY WAY

Ci

THE MOON (SHOWING PHASE)

OPEN CLUSTER
COMET TRACK PLANET
GLOBULAR CLUSTER
ASTEROID TRACK STAR BRIGHTNESS:
PLANETARY
MAG. 0 MAG. +1 MAG. +2 MAG. +3 MAG. +4
STAR-HOPPING PATH & BRIGHTER & FAINTER
DIFFUSE NEBULOSITY

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 37

January
Don't miss the peak of the
Quadrantid meteor shower
3/4 January Quadrantid meteor shower peak

4 January Evening lunar occultation of Saturn

10 January Venus at greatest eastern

elongation (47.2Ǩfrom the Sun; evening)

16 January Mars reaches opposition

18 January Venus 2.2Ǩ north of Saturn

(evening)

The Milky Way Z

Tomás Andonie, Frutillar,
Chile, 24 July 2023

38 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 January 2025

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 39

 January
At the start of 2025, the planets are well-placed.
Moon phase _ `
Brilliant Venus is a beacon in the evening sky after
URSA
sunset, reaching greatest eastern elongation on 10 Jan MAJOR
ZKHQLWZLOOEHVHSDUDWHGIURPWKH6XQE\Ǩ 2 Jan 3 Jan
9% waxing crescent 16% waxing crescent
Following from the east is bright Jupiter, against Sets at 18:58 UT Sets at 20:27 UT
a
the spectacular backdrop of the constellation Taurus, b Megrez

the Bull. If you can view Jupiter through a telescope,

gh
Plou
don’t miss the Ganymede shadow transits that occur ¡
LYNX CANES
on the evenings of 13 Jan (18:30-21:00 UT), 20 Jan _ VENATICI
Mizar
(Ganymede transit 18:33-20:58 UT, Ganymede shadow `
c
transit 22:31-01:00 UT) and 27 Jan (Ganymede transit
22:08-00:34 UT, Ganymede shadow transit 02:31 UT
Alkaid
_ Cor Caroli
until Jupiter sets around 04:40 UT). Also, keep an eye d
f
out for Callisto, passing close to Jupiter’s polar regions d
on the early evening of 14 Jan (17:22 UT) and early Quadrantid radiant
3/4 Jan
hours of 23 Jan (02:42 UT). Saturn’s largest moon Titan, (peaks around 28 Dec
16:00 UT on 3 Jan) COMA
will also be casting its shadow on its host planet on BERENICES
a
7 Jan (16:26-21:30 UT) and 23 Jan (15:30-20:58 UT). 12 Jan
`
Mars is located further east of Jupiter. It currently Nekkar

appears to move in a retrograde (east-west) fashion, o Kit

BOÖTES e
from Cancer into Gemini throughout the month, HERCULES
reaching opposition on 16 Jan, when its position ¡
b Izar
has it in line with Castor (Alpha (_) Geminorum) and d _ Arcturus

Pollux (Beta (`) Geminorum), outshining both stars

at mag. -1.4. Mars reaches opposition every 2.1 years, S The a perihelic opposition. Despite this, it will be able to
Quadrantid
perihelic oppositions placing the planet near to Earth, UHDFKRYHUǨDOWLWXGHIURPWKH8.
meteor shower
aphelic ones further away. This opposition is aphelic, peak ZHR is 120 The annual Quadrantid meteor shower reaches
Mars displaying a 14-arcsecond apparent diameter in meteors per hour its peak on 3 Jan around 16:00 UT. The Moon won’t
2025, some way off the 25 arcseconds it achieves at interfere; a 15%-lit waxing crescent setting around
20:30 UT and located very close to
Disappearance 4 January 17:18 UT*.
Moon’s altitude 28°, Saturn takes 51 seconds to disappear (ring tip to ring tip). Venus. The following evening, the
5KHDRFFXOWHGPVDQG'LRQHVDKHDGRI6DWXUQŝVƅUVWFRQWDFW
+,3RFFXOWHGVDIWHU6DWXUQŝVƅUVWFRQWDFW Moon steals the limelight back as
Titan occulted 2m53s after Saturn fully disappears. Dione
Rhea it occults Saturn, hiding the planet
Saturn
Titan
between 17:18 UT and 18:26 UT
HIP 114054 (observe from 20 minutes earlier
(mag. +6.7 star)
than stated times). The Moon also
Moon makes a very close pass of Mars in
the early hours of 14 Jan, the Red
Planet just 11-arcminutes from the
Moon’s northern limb at 04:25 UT.
Moon
These events all take place
Titan against the beautiful stars and
Saturn constellations of winter, dominated
HIP 114054 by Orion, the Hunter. Visible as
Dione Rhea soon as darkness falls, Orion is
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useful as a navigational guide.

Follow belt line southeast (down and
OHIWIURPWKH8. DQG\RXŝOODUULYHDW
Reappearance 4 January 18:26 UT*. the brightest night time star, Sirius
Moon’s altitude 24°, Saturn takes 65 seconds to reappear (ring tip to ring tip).
Rhea reappears 1m38s and Dione 51s before Saturn.
(Alpha (_) Canis Majoris) in Canis
* Times will vary with location, +,3UHDSSHDUVVDIWHU6DWXUQŝVƅUVWDSSHDUDQFH Major, the Great Dog. Follow the
those given are for the centre of the UK Titan reappears 3m31s after Saturn has fully reappeared.
belt line northwest and you’ll arrive
S Saturn is occulted by the Moon, early evening on 4 Jan, along with the mag. +6.7 star HIP 114054 at Aldebaran (Alpha (_) Tauri).

40 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 January 2025

January’s NORTH
CYG
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SOUTH January's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury presents 14 arcsecond disc Uranus
Visible low in the dawn through the eyepiece. Evening planet in Aries,
twilight, lost after 9 Jan. reaching peak altitude of
Jupiter ǨLQGDUNQHVVDOOWKURXJK FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON
Venus Well placed evening planet the month. 6 Jan 13 Jan
Greatest elongation on 10 in Taurus, reaching altitude
Jan, near Saturn on 18 Jan RIǨZKHQGXHVRXWK Neptune
and Neptune on 31 Jan. Deteriorating evening
Saturn planet, west of south as
Mars Occulted by the Moon on darkness falls at the start LAST QUARTER NEW MOON
Reaches opposition 16 Jan, 4 Jan, early evening. of the month. 21 Jan 29 Jan

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 41

42 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025
 February 2025

February
Look out for the many
planetary spectacles
this month
1 February Venus near the 13%-lit waxing
crescent Moon (evening)

7 February Jupiter near the crescent Moon

before setting (morning)

8 February Callisto 3 arcseconds from

Jupiter’s southern limb (19:08 UT)

9 February Mars very close to the Moon’s

southern limb (evening)

24 February Titan and its shadow transit

Saturn (12:28-18:50 UT)

Y The California Nebula

Tim Jackson, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire,
6 November 2023

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 43

 February
February’s night sky showcases the best of the winter
constellations in the early evening together with 9 February
18:50 UT
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ZLQWHUWKDWVXUURXQG2ULRQ

44 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 February 2025

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Visible planets Moon phases
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Mercury Mars Saturn
6XSHULRUFRQMXQFWLRQ)HE (YHQLQJSODQHWRYHUǨ 'HWHULRUDWLQJHYHQLQJSODQHW
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)HEǨIURP6DWXUQ DW87 9HQXVRQ)HE 5 Feb 12 Feb

Venus Jupiter Uranus

(YHQLQJSODQHWYLVLEOHVRRQ :HOOSODFHGHYHQLQJSODQHW :HOOSRVLWLRQHGHYHQLQJ
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ZD[LQJ0RRQRQ-DQ RQWKHPRUQLQJRI)HE VWDUWRIWKHPRQWK LAST QUARTER NEW MOON
20 Feb 28 Feb

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 45

 Spring constellation

Constellation of the season

SPRING: Canes Venatici

The constellation of Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs shows regions of bright red, yellow and green separated
requires a stretch of the imagination to visualise. In the by broad spaces.
sky, it’s basically a line connecting the star Cor Caroli 7RƅQGWKHEULJKWPDJ6XQƆRZHU*DOD[\0
(Alpha (_) Canum Venaticorum) to Chara (Beta (`) URWDWHWKH&KDUD&RUOLQHDURXQG&RU&DUROLE\Ǩ
Canum Venaticorum). The constellation represents two FRXQWHUFORFNZLVH6SLUDOJDOD[\0VLWVDWWKHIUHH
greyhounds held on a leash by Boötes, the Herdsman. Chara end. This object gets its informal name from its
The two dogs are a male called Asterion which means mottled granular appearance, which resembles the
‘starry’ and a female named Chara which means ‘dear’. WH[WXUHRIWKHLQQHUSDUWRIDVXQƆRZHU
Asterion is further to the north in a region of sky marked Amazingly, the muti-purpose line hasn’t exhausted its
by nothing more than a sparse scattering of faint stars. XVHVHLWKHUEHFDXVHLWFDQDOVREHXVHGWRƅQGDQRWKHU
The star Cor Caroli is named in honour of King Charles EULJKWJDOD[\PDJ0WKH&DWŝV(\H*DOD[\7KLV
I of England, the name meaning ‘Charles’s Heart’. In time, imagine the mid-point of the line then head at
terms of the dogs, or rather dog, it represents the joint right angles in a northerly direction for one-third of the
on Chara’s collar where it’s attached to the leash. One OLQHŝVOHQJWKZKHUH\RXZLOOUHDFK0
ZD\WRYLVXDOLVHWKHORFDWLRQRI&RU&DUROLLVWRƅUVW But the most impressive galaxy within Canes Venatici
LGHQWLI\WKH3ORXJKRU6DXFHSDQDVWHULVPVSHFLƅFDOO\ LVXQGRXEWHGO\0WKH:KLUOSRRO*DOD[\/RFDWHWKH
the handle. This traces out an arc in the sky. Imagine the star at the end of the Plough handle called Alkaid (Eta
T /HIW7KH arc as being part of a circle and mag. +2.9 Cor Caroli sits ĉ 8UVDH0DMRULV )URP$ONDLGLGHQWLI\PDJ
mottled, granular at the approximate centre of that circle. Canum Venaticorum, 2.1$ west and slightly south of
appearance
mag. +1.8 Alkaid. From 24 Canum Venaticorum, head
RI0LVVDLG
to resemble Explore the local vicinity DVLPLODUGLVWDQFHVRXWKVRXWKZHVWWRORFDWH0
the texture of Imagine Chara as a pivot. Rotate the Cor Caroli to Chara At mag. +8.4 it can be seen through binoculars but a
the centre of a OLQHǨFORFNZLVHDURXQG&KDUDDQGZKHUHWKH&RU telescope is needed to reveal its spiral structure. The
VXQƆRZHUKHQFH
its popular name &DUROLHQGZRXOGƅQLVKXSPDUNVWKHSRVLWLRQRIPDJ :KLUOSRROŝVVSLUDODUPVDUHEHWWHUGHƅQHGWKDQWKRVH
RIWKH6XQƆRZHU +5.4 Y Canum Venaticorum, also known as La Superba. RI0YLVLEOHXQGHUGDUNVN\FRQGLWLRQVZLWKDPP
*DOD[\ You might think the informal name for this striking red VFRSH$PPVFRSHZLOOVKRZ0DVDVPXGJHZLWK
star originates from its strong colour, but that’s not the DVPDOOHUVPXGJHQHDUE\7KHVPDOOHUVPXGJHLV0ŝV
5LJKW0LVD
bright globular case. Y Canum Venaticorum is a semi-regular variable JUDYLWDWLRQDOO\ERXQGFRPSDQLRQJDOD[\1*&
cluster within changing brightness by around one magnitude over an %ULJKWPDJJOREXODUFOXVWHU0LVORFDWHGULJKWRQ
Canes Venatici,
approximately 160-day period. It was given the name the southern boundary of Canes Venatici where it joins
midway between
Cor Caroli and La Superba by 19th-century astronomer Father Angelo WRQHLJKERXULQJ%R¶WHV0LVDEHDXWLIXOREMHFWWKURXJK
Arcturus Secchi, because of the beauty of its spectrum, which DWHOHVFRSHVHFRQGRQO\WR0LQ+HUFXOHV
$//3,&785(63(7(/$:5(1&(

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 47

March
Don't miss the partial solar
eclipse and total lunar eclipse
this month
4 March Double shadow transit on Jupiter
(23:36-01:13 UT)

6 March Lunar X clair-obscur effect visible on

the Moon (around 23:00 UT)

14 March Total lunar eclipse (sets during

totality from the UK)

20 March March equinox

29 March Partial solar eclipse

The Andromeda Galaxy Z

Oliver Carter, Leesburg, Virginia, USA,
1–21 September 2023

48 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 March 2025

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 49

 March
14 March 2025 Moon starts horizon at 05:10 UT, a partial
to enter
the Earth’s
eclipse can be seen until totality
First contact with
the umbral shadow penumbral is reached at 06:26 UT.
at 05:09 UT shadow
at 03:57 UT The partial solar eclipse on
Moon is totally
eclipsed at 29 March is easier to see, in the
06:26 UT $OWLWXGHǨ
Greatest eclipse late morning. From the UK’s
is at 06:59 UT
(beneath horizon) centre, almost 50% of the Sun’s
$OWLWXGHǨ
diameter will appear covered by
the Moon (about 35% of its area).
$OWLWXGHǨ
At the start of March,
Moon set is at 06:34
Mercury and Venus are bright
UT (central UK)
in the evening sky. On 1 March,
Totality
comes to Mercury is at mag. -0.9, setting
an end at
07:31 UT 90 minutes after the Sun with
Last contact with
the umbral (beneath a 3%-lit waxing crescent Moon
shadow horizon)
Moon leaves the at 08:48 UT ǨHDVWQRUWKHDVWRIWKHSODQHW
penumbral (beneath horizon) The following evening, Mercury is
shadow N
at 10:00 UT ǨIURPGLP1HSWXQH*UHDWHVW
(beneath horizon) eastern elongation occurs on
W 8 March, Mercury appearing
ǨIURPWKH6XQ2Q0DUFK
March is a busy month with two eclipses, two inner S The Moon having now dimmed to mag. +0.7, Mercury appears
planets dive-bombing the Sun and Saturn’s invisible experiences a ǨVRXWKRIPDJ9HQXV0RYLQJDORQJWKHSDUWRI
total eclipse on
ring plane crossing. its orbit closest to Earth, Mercury slips rapidly into the
the morning of
On 14 March, there’s a total lunar eclipse which isn’t 14 March. From Sun’s glare to reach inferior conjunction on 24 March.
PETE LAWRENCE X 3, ISTOCK X 7, NASA X 4

optimal for the UK, totality occurring around moonset, the UK it reaches Venus appears impressive at the start of March, a
totality just
the sky brightening due to morning twilight. mag. -4.4 jewel in the evening sky, setting over three
before setting
The subtle penumbral part of this eclipse begins at hours after the Sun on 1 March. A telescope shows the
87RQ0DUFKWKHIXOO0RRQEHLQJǨDERYH T During the planet as a spectacular 13%-lit crescent, 49 arcseconds
the west-southwest horizon. Unlikely to be noticeable partial solar across. After posing near the 10%-lit waxing crescent
DWƅUVWLWEHFRPHVPRUHREYLRXVQHDUWKH0RRQ V eclipse, a lot of Moon on 2 March and Mercury on 12 March, Venus too
the Sun’s disc will
southwestern limb just before the umbral shadow be covered by rapidly heads towards inferior conjunction on 23 March.
DSSHDUVDW87/RFDWHGǨDERYHWKHZHVWHUQ the Moon Venus does re-emerge into the morning sky at the end
29 March 2025 of the month.
If you’ve seen Saturn through a
N
telescope lately, you’ll know the
rings have appeared very thin of
late as Saturn’s tilt towards Earth
decreases. This comes to a head on
23 March when Saturn appears to
undergo a ring plane crossing. If the
planet were visible, the rings would
effectively disappear from view for a
short while, but solar conjunction on
First contact Maximum eclipse 12 March means we won’t see this.
Last contact
10:07 UT 11:05 UT 12:03 UT Jupiter is still visible during
Altitude 34° Altitude 38° Altitude 41°
0DUFK2Q0DUFK*DQ\PHGH
Times correct for central UK, varying slightly in eclipse coverage and timing, depending on location. and Europa’s shadows create a
First and last contact overlaps exaggerated for clarity.
double shadow transit visible from
Northwest Scotland gets the best view (magnitude 57%, 47.8% of the Sun’s disc obscured), 23:56-01:13 UT. On 5 March, Callisto
southeast England the smallest eclipse (magnitude 39%, 28.1% of the Sun’s disc obscured).
)XOOVRODUVDIHW\SUHFDXWLRQVUHTXLUHG1HYHUREVHUYHWKH6XQZLWKRXWXVLQJDSSURSULDWHƅOWHUV appears just 1-arcsecond north of
Jupiter’s northern limb at 19:57 UT.

50 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 March 2025

March’s

A
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See page 37 for a Deneb

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key to this chart

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SOUTH March's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury Mars Saturn
Evening planet at start of Evening planet, Not visible, ring plane
March, greatest eastern 56-arcminutes south of crossing on 23 March.
elongation 8 March. Lost 74%-lit waxing gibbous FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON
from view mid-month. Moon on 9 March. Uranus 6 Mar 14 Mar
Loses altitude due to
Venus Jupiter brightening spring skies
Evening planet, sets over Despite losing the battle throughout the month.
3 hours after sunset on with brightening evening
1 March, lost after mid- twilight, remains a decent Neptune LAST QUARTER NEW MOON
month. altitude throughout March. Not visible this month. 22 Mar 29 Mar

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 51

April
Don't miss the Lyrid
meteor shower and Jewelled
Handle clair-obscur effect
1 April The Moon occults the Pleiades open
cluster (evening)

8 April Jewelled Handle clair-obscur effect

visible on the Moon (early morning)

16 April Callisto appears to almost touch

Jupiter’s southern pole (22:40 BST (21:40 UT))

22 April Lyrid meteor shower peak

25 April Venus near the Moon (dawn)

The Moon over Bath Z

Alex Bell, Bath, Somerset, 18 January 2024

52 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 April 2025

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 53

 April
The period of night shrinks rapidly with the spring
1 April 2025
sky dominating the evening view, Leo, the Lion
Note - timings and indicated
nicely displayed. The main characteristic of Leo is an Moon’s postion will vary slightly 21:45 BST
asterism rising north from Regulus (Alpha (_) Leonis). due to lunar parallax. (20:45 UT)
Called the Sickle, it represents the lion’s head and
looks like a large backward-facing question mark.
The body extends to the east, roughly rectangular in
shape with two pairs of legs dangling south. Further
east still, the lion’s tail is marked by second magnitude
Denebola (Beta (`) Leonis).
Follow the direction the tail is pointing to a region of
sky known as the Realm of Galaxies. Sitting just to the
north of another large asterism, known as the Bowl of
Virgo, the realm is full of faint fuzzy galaxies from the
Virgo Galaxy Cluster and Coma Galaxy Cluster.
Virgo is a large, sprawling constellation; the second
largest by area in the night sky. The principal star is
22:45 BST
Spica (Alpha (_ 9LUJLQLV 7RORFDWH6SLFDƅUVWƅQGWKH (21:45 UT) On the evening of
Plough or Saucepan asterism, which is part of Ursa 1 April the Moon will
pass in front of the
Major, the Great Bear. At this time of year, the pattern centre of the Pleiades
sits overhead. Extend the arc of the Saucepan's curving 23:40 BST open cluster giving
(22:40 UT) rise to a number of
handle away from the pan to eventually arrive at bright
occultation events.
orange Arcturus (Alpha (_) Boötis), which sits at the
bottom pointed-end of a large kite-shaped asterism.
The Kite is as high as the Saucepan is long. Keep the eventually you’ll arrive at bright white Spica. One way
Saucepan handle arc going through Arcturus and to visualise Spica and the Bowl of Virgo is to think
of Spica as the base of the stem of a giant letter ‘y’,
9 April 2025 the Bowl can then be visualised forming the upper
Ganymede half of the character. Heading north from Porrima
Ganymede’s shadow (Gamma (a) Virginis) at the base of the Bowl – where
the three ‘arms’ of the ‘y’ join, you’ll be passing directly
up through the Realm of Galaxies. One striking region
Ganymede shadow transit within the realm is known as Markarian’s Chain, a
19:39 (twilight)-22:23 BST curving chain of galaxies of various sizes and shapes.
(18:39-21:23 UT) Keep heading north out of the Realm of Galaxies
and you’ll pass up through the triangular open cluster
16 April 2025
Callisto known as Mellote 111, part of Coma Berenices, Queen
Ganymede Berenice’s Hair; the cluster represents the queen’s
Ganymede transit
17:28 (daylight)-22:12 BST ƆRZLQJKDLU.HHSKHDGLQJQRUWKDQG\RXŝOOSDVVXS
(18:28-21:12 UT) through the unassuming pair of stars which form
Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs (see page 46). They
Callisto appearing to almost
don’t look too much like dogs, but the constellation
touch Jupiter’s southern pole
at 22:40 BST (21:40 UT) along with Coma Berenices to the south also contains
a number of impressive galaxies. The most famous
27 April 2025 TYC-1846-184-2 example has to be Whirlpool Galaxy M51, which is
(mag +9.9)
PETE LAWRENCE X 3, ISTOCK X 7, NASA X 4

ORFDWHGǨVRXWKZHVWRI$ONDLG (WD d) Ursae Majoris).

The early phases of the Moon are well placed in the
TYC-1846-184-1 evening sky at this time of year. The popular clair-
Io (mag +8.9)
obscur (trick of the light) effect, known as the Jewelled
Jupiter occults two stars: Handle is visible in the early hours of 8 April. Formed
TYC-1846-184-1/2 at 00:11 BST
when the lunar dawn light catches the peaks of the
(23:05 UT on 26 April) at low altitude
curved Jura Mountain range that borders Sinus Iridum,
S Jupiter is involved with a number of interesting events this month it’s one of the easier clair-obscur effects to see.

54 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 April 2025

April's NORTH

night sky da
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SOUTH April's key
Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury Moon in triangle on 25 April. Saturn
Morning planet, not visible Hard to see in the morning
despite reaching greatest Mars twilight. Near Venus 23 April.
ZHVWHUQHORQJDWLRQRIǨ Deteriorating evening planet. FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON
on 21 April. ǨVRXWKRIDOLWZD[LQJ Uranus 5 Apr 13 Apr
Moon on evening of 5 April. Evening planet, visible near
Venus a 16%-lit waxing Moon on
Morning planet, rises 70 mins Jupiter 1 April, but rapidly lost.
before sunrise. Forms a small Evening planet, deteriorating
triangle with Saturn and through the month. Moon Neptune LAST QUARTER NEW MOON
Neptune. 10%-lit waning nearby on 2 and 30 April. Not visible this month. 21 Apr 27 Apr

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 55

May
Mars lies near the Beehive
Cluster and there's an unusual
shadow transit of Titan
2 May Vesta reaches opposition, potentially
naked-eye visible (evening)

4 May Mars near the Beehive Cluster (evening)

5 May Lunar X clair-obscur effect visible on

the Moon (01:14 BST (00:14 UT))

15 May Unusual daylight transit of Titan

shadow across Saturn

23 May Approximate start of the Northern

Hemisphere’s noctilucent cloud season

The Tarantula Nebula Z

.ƅU6LPRQ7LYROL)DUP1DPLELD$XJXVW

56 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 May 2025

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 57

 May
q
WRVHHDQ(WD$TXDULLGPHWHRU\RXŝOOEHZLWQHVVLQJ
11 a tiny piece of comet 1P/Halley vaporising in Earth’s
21 May 31 May atmosphere. The low Moon sets around 03:30 BST
11 May (02:30 UT).
f
16 4 Vesta 104 Transits of Titan and its shadow occur in batches
1 May + 106 separated by around 15 years and even then, timings
VIRGO IRUWKHVHLQIUHTXHQWHYHQWVPD\QRWEHLGHDO7KLV
is certainly the case for a special transit of Titan’s
g shadow on 15 May which happens during daylight.
Saturn is visible during the day through a telescope,
b
but it has very low contrast, making it appear a ghost
of its night time self. The best strategy is to pick it up
Zubeneschamali ZLWKDQHTXDWRULDOO\GULYHQWHOHVFRSHLQWKHSUHVXQULVH
` j h
sky and then, if practical, stay with it. For this event,
j the shadow alignment places it adjacent to the section
of rings nearest Earth.
+ The stars and constellations visible in the earlier part
LIBRA
of the night are those of spring, but there’s a transition
_ taking place in the early hours as the stars of summer
_ Zubenelgenubi
begin to take over. The kite-shaped constellation of
i
Boötes, the Herdsman rides high across the May sky,
There’s a rapid loss of night this month as we head S Vesta reaches with the beautifully compact semi-circular pattern
opposition on
towards the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice on of Corona Borealis just to the east of it. East of
2 May when
21 June. True darkness doesn't arrive for most of the UK it may just be Corona Borealis is the sprawling form of Hercules,
until the end of the month. Although this causes issues visible to the the Strongman, its most distinctive shape being the
with seeing faint wispy deep sky objects, there is an unaided eye from relatively faint pattern known as the Keystone. This is
a dark sky site
upside — the start of noctilucent cloud (NLC) spotting the guide to locating a beautiful showpiece of spring,
season, typically active until early August. Last year M13 the Great Globular in Hercules. Located one third
T A tricky
saw some excellent NLC displays, so there’s all to play of the way down from the northwest corner of the
daylight Titan
for (see page 62 for more details). shadow transit Keystone towards the southwest corner, this globular
The minor planet 4 Vesta reaches opposition in occurs on 15 May, is estimated to contain upwards of 100,000 stars. M13
unusual due to
Libra on 2 May and, excitingly, there’s a chance to spot is just visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy star from a
the shadow’s
it with the naked eye from a dark site. It’s expected proximity to the GDUNVN\ORFDWLRQEXWLWLVUHDOO\TXLWHVWXQQLQJWKURXJK
to shine at mag. +5.8 for a few days either side of edge of the rings a telescope.
opposition, which is very close to the
naked eye threshold and a similar 15 May, from 10:45 BST (09:45 UT) until Saturn sets at 15:30 BST (14:30 UT)
typical brightness to that of Uranus.
The Moon is a 23%-lit waxing
crescent on 2 May, setting in the
early hours around 02:15 BST (01:15 Saturn
UT) and shouldn’t be too much of
a nuisance.
7KHMXVWSDVWƅUVWTXDUWHU0RRQ
LVIRUWXQDWHO\TXLWHORZIRUWKHSHDN
of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower
Titan’s shadow
PETE LAWRENCE X 3, ISTOCK X 7, NASA X 4

expected on the morning of 5 May.

This is a tricky shower to observe
from the UK due to its low altitude
radiant which doesn’t rise until the
early hours. The best strategy is to Titan
(unlikely to be visible)
keep watch from 02:00 BST (01:00
UT) until 03:00 BST (02:00 UT). In
South is up
this short window it you do manage

58 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 May 2025

May's NORTH

night sky _
fak
MirPERSEUaS
b

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12th HYD

SOUTH May's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury of May. Crosses the Beehive planet forming a compact
Morning planet, too low to Cluster M44 on 4 May. triangle with Venus and
be seen properly from UK. Neptune early in May.
Jupiter FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON
Venus Evening planet in Taurus, Uranus 4 May 12 May
Morning planet, lowering so compromised by twilight Not visible this month. Solar
hard to see before sunrise. mid-month onwards. conjunction on 17 May.

Mars Saturn Neptune

Evening planet, best at start Poorly placed morning Not visible this month. LAST QUARTER NEW MOON
20 May 27 May

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 59

 Summer constellation

Constellation of the season

SUMMER: Serpens Serpens is split into two. It represents the snake held (`), Gamma (a), Kappa (g) and Iota (f) Serpentis), which
by the healer Asclepius, who is shown by the large represents the serpent’s actual head, the rest of the zig-
summer constellation of Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. zag to the south describing its ‘neck’. To locate the head,
Legend claims Asclepius killed a snake, but saw it being ƅQGWKHGLVWLQFWLYHVHPLFLUFXODUFRQVWHOODWLRQRI&RURQD
resurrected by another snake after the application of Borealis, the Northern Crown and the Serpen’s head
a herb. Learning from the experience, Asclepius then pattern lies immediately south of it.
worked out how to revive humans using the same Nestled in the extreme southwest corner of Serpens
technique. This angered Hades, God of the Underworld, Caput is mag. +5.0 5 Serpentis. 22 arcminutes northwest
as it robbed him of the dead. Hades complained to his of this star lies the rich and impressive mag. +5.6
brother Zeus, who also worried Asclepius would pass globular cluster M5; a strong contender for the title of
the skill of resurrection to other humans, resulting in the best globular cluster in the northern half of the sky,
immortality. Zeus blasted the healer with lightning bolts, O\LQJMXVWǨQRUWKRIWKHFHOHVWLDOHTXDWRU
causing Asclepius to be elevated into the heavens as Returning to the head pattern, R Serpentis, a Mira-
Ophiuchus, his hands wide open, wrapped with snakes. type variable, sits just south of the mid-point between
Today, a symbol of a snake entwined around Asclepius’s Beta and Gamma Serpentis. This has a large brightness
staff is often the logo used by medical facilities. range, just visible to the naked eye when at peak
In the night sky, Ophiuchus holds Serpens so the EULJKWQHVVDURXQGƅIWKPDJQLWXGHLWGLSVWRDURXQG
serpent is divided into two parts. The part to the east fourteenth magnitude when at minimum. The period of
is Serpens Cauda, the Serpent’s Tail, the part to the variability is 356.41 days.
T Left: Globular
cluster M5 is west is Serpens Caput, the Serpent’s Head. Serpens as As you move from the head down the creature’s neck,
conveniently a whole is accepted as one of the 88 IAU recognised WKHƅUVWQRWLFHDEOHVWDULVPDJ'HOWD b) Serpentis,
located near constellations, yet on star charts it’s drawn as two a lovely binary star. Both components are F-type
ƅIWKPDJQLWXGH
distinct areas representing Serpens Caput and Serpens subgiants with magnitudes of +4.3 and +5.2. Separated
5 Serpentis, the
bright star at the Cauda. Some charts draw a dotted line between by 4-arcseconds, the brighter star appears yellow-white,
bottom of this sections as shown here. the dimmer one a fraction redder.
image
Switching to the east of Ophiuchus brings us to
Right: Glorious Serpent’s neck Serpens Cauda, the Serpent’s Tail, often depicted joined
in long exposude Serpens Caput to the west is more distinctive, appearing to Ophiuchus’s northeast shoulder, linked between
photographs, the like a zig-zag of stars with mag. +2.6 Unukalhai (Alpha (_) mag. +3.2 Eta (d) Serpentis and 70 Ophiuchi. From Eta,
nebulosity in M16
is tricky to see Serpentis) in the middle. Unukalhai is a red-giant star, its Serpens Cauda is typically shown connecting to Nu (i)
through smaller name literally meaning ‘the serpent’s neck’. At the top Ophiuchi and then on to Omicron (k) Serpentis, as if the
telescopes of the zig-zag is a small group of indistinct stars (Beta serpent bearer is holding the serpent.
ALL PICTURES: PETE LAWRENCE

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 61

62 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025
 June 2025

June
Catch interesting planetary
displays and perhaps a
noctilucent cloud display
All month Keep watch for noctilucent clouds
as the season progresses

1 June Venus at greatest western elongation

(morning)

17 June Mars and Regulus separated by just

Ǩ PRUQLQJ

19 June Conjunction of Saturn, the last

quarter Moon and Neptune (morning)

21 June Northern Hemisphere’s summer

solstice

Y Star trails
Varsha Sharma, Kausani,
Uttarakhand, India, March 2018

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 63

 June

June is a challenging month for UK astronomy, S Noctilucent off the NLCs high in the sky, so they shine in the deep
the solstice on 21 June rendering the nights short cloud season twilight. Noctilucent means ‘night shining’.
and without true darkness. In a way, this can make gets into full NLCs are typically seen low above the northwest
swing this month
LGHQWLƅFDWLRQRIWKHPDMRUFRQVWHOODWLRQVDOLWWOHHDVLHU horizon 90-120 minutes after sunset or a similar time
with fewer faint stars to confusion the view. It’s also before sunrise low above the northeast horizon. They
WKHƅUVWIXOOPRQWKZKHUHnoctilucent cloud (NLC) typically have a beautiful blue white colour and often
displays may be witnessed. show delicate herringbone structures.
NLCs are an atmospheric phenomenon linked with The stars in the June sky would be beautiful
meteor dust, the tiny particulates left behind when if it weren’t for the lack of true darkness. The red
a meteoroid vaporises in Earth’s atmosphere to form supergiant Antares (Alpha (_) Scorpii) can be seen
a meteor trail. From late May to early August the hugging the southern horizon. Marking the heart of
temperature of the mesosphere drops. Water vapour Scorpius, the Scorpion, it shines with a distinctive
present at a height around 82km up, becomes super- orange colour which is said to resemble the hue of
cooled and, on contact with a particle of meteor T Early risers planet Mars; the name Antares literally means ‘rival
dust, forms a minute ice crystal. If enough crystals on 19 June get of Mars’. West of Antares are the distinctive stars
are created, ice-sheet clouds can form. At such a high to see the last marking the scorpion’s claws and further west still the
quarter Moon
altitude, roughly seven times higher than the highest constellation of Libra, the Scales. The two main stars
naer Saturn with
regular or tropospheric clouds, when the Sun is below a tricky Neptune of Libra are Zubeneschemali (Beta (`) Scorpii) and
WKHKRUL]RQDWJURXQGOHYHOVXQOLJKWLVVWLOOUHƆHFWLQJ close by too Zubenelgenubi (Alpha (_) Scorpii), names which mean
‘northern claw’ and ‘southern claw’ respectively, this
19 June 02:15 BST (01:15 UT) being because they once were part of Scorpius.
North of Antares is the large void of Ophiuchus,
the Serpent Bearer, best described as looking like
a tall house with a pointed roof and dangling legs.
Ophiuchus is carrying a snake in the form of Serpens,
Moon the Serpent, the only constellation sub-divided into
two; Serpens Cauda the Serpent’s Tail to the east and
Serpens Caput the Serpent’s head to the west.
Serpens Caput contains the beautiful globular
Neptune cluster M5LPPHGLDWHO\DGMDFHQWWR6HUSHQWLV1RW
3(7(/$:5(1&(;,672&.;1$6$;

to be outdone, Serpens Cauda contains (albeit only

Saturn MXVW WKHEagle Nebula M16. Made famous by the
Hubble and then JWST images, and known as the
Pillars of Creation, the nebula is hard to see through
VPDOOWHOHVFRSHVDQG\RXŝUHPRUHOLNHO\WRVHHMXVWWKH
embedded star cluster. Larger scopes show the faint
7x50 binocular view glow of the nebula gas, with imaging required to reveal
it in its full glory.

64 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 June 2025

June's NORTH

night sky _
b
PER
lla
pe
Ca
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See page 37 for a S

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SOUTH June's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury &RQMXQFWLRQZLWKVLPLODU close to Neptune.
Best placed at end of June in brightness Regulus 16 June.
evening sky. 2%-lit waxing Uranus
Moon nearby 26 June. Jupiter Not visible this month. FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON
Evening planet, near the Sun. 3 June 11 June
Venus 6RODUFRQMXQFWLRQ-XQH Neptune
Morning planet. Greatest thereafter a morning planet. Difficult morning planet.
western elongation 1 June. Possibly visible on 19 June
Saturn (02:15 BST (01:15 UT)) when
Mars Another poorly located QHDU6DWXUQDQGOLW LAST QUARTER NEW MOON
Low altitude morning planet. morning planet, currently waning Moon. 18 June 25 June

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 65

66 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025
 July 2025

July
Mercury puts on a show at
twilight, and Saturn and
Neptune come together
All month Possible noctilucent cloud displays

2 July Lunar X & V clair-obscur effects visible

on the Moon (around 23:40 BST (22:40 UT))

4 July Mercury at greatest eastern

elongation (evening twilight)

16 July Saturn and Neptune less than a

degree apart (01:40 BST (00:40 UT))

29/30 July Peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor

shower

Y The Dolphin Head Nebula

Egidio Vergani, processed from data captured by
ChileScope, Atacama Desert, Chile, 1 March 2024

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 67

 July
PEGASUS instrument with a stringed section represented by a
Moon phase
squashed diamond pattern of stars southeast of Vega.
PISCES Water
Circlet The beautiful Ring Nebula M57 sits a fraction
Jar 29 Jul 30 Jul
25% waxing crescent 34% waxing crescent
Neptune Sadalmelik Sets at 22:40 BST Sets at 22:49 BST south of the mid-point of the line between the lower
(21:40 UT) (21:49 UT)

Saturn two stars in this pattern, slightly offset towards

AQUARIUS Sadalsuud Sheliak (Beta (`) Lyrae) to the west. Vega forms a
small equilateral triangle with Zeta (c) and Epsilon (¡)
20 Aug Lyrae. Take a close look at Epsilon to the north and,
30 Jul Algedi assuming you have good eyesight, you should be able
10 Aug
to split it in two. Point a telescope at the pair and with
b 20 Jul 10 Jul
Dabih
JRRGFRQGLWLRQVDQGDGHFHQWPDJQLƅFDWLRQ\RXŝOO
Southern Delta see they each split into two again, Epsilon Lyrae being
Aquariid radiant
(peak 06:00 UT on 30 Jul) unsurprisingly known as the Double-Double.
CAPRICORNUS
The third and southernmost star in the Summer
PISCIS
Fomalhaut
AUSTRINUS Triangle is bright AltairHDVLO\LGHQWLƅHGE\WKHWZR
GLPPHUVWDUVWKDWƆDQNLW7DUD]HG *DPPD a) Aquliae)
to the north-northwest and Alshain (Beta (`) Aquilae)
to the south-southeast.
S Aquila is often described as having a cross like
VKDSHEXWXQOLNHWKHGLVWLQFWLYHDQGUHDGLO\LGHQWLƅDEOH
From the UK, July’s skies should be similarly S The Southern cruciform pattern of the Northern Cross, Aquila is
compromised to those of June, being so close to the Delta Aquariid more like an irregular X. If you imagine Altair as the
meteor shower
Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice. However, has no Moon upper-left corner of this shape, the lower-right position
starting the month just over a week from the solstice interference, with is marked by a distinctive star curve; Althalimain
means that the end of July does return to an albeit SHDN=+5DURXQG (Lambda (h) Aquilae), 12 Aquilae and Eta (d) Scuti,
25 meteors per
brief level of darkness. This is an ideal time to start the latter belonging to the small diamond-shaped
hour
trying to spot the brightest part of the Milky Way, as it constellation of Scutum, the Shield.
snakes its way down from the overhead point towards The curve arcs into a bright knot of Milky Way,
the southwest horizon. T The clair- known as the Scutum Star Cloud, passing the rich
$VLWJRHVLWƆRZVDORQJWKHHDVWHUQHGJHRIWKH obscur effects of Wild Duck Cluster, M11 as you go. Through a telescope
giant Summer Triangle asterism, a large down the Lunar X and this is an unbelievably rich cluster, criss-crossed by dark
V — are visible
pointing triangle formed from the three bright stars before midnight dust lanes which gives the appearance that something
Deneb in Cygnus, Vega in Lyra and Altair in Aquila, all on 2 July has come along and broken it.
being the principal alpha (_) stars of their respective
constellations.
As the Milky Way passes Deneb it appears to split
in two, a dark rift dividing the two resulting sections.
Just south of Deneb the split is fairly wide leading to
a region known as the Northern Coalsack. The main
split passing down through Cygnus is known as the
Cygnus Rift.
Cygnus itself is a large constellation representing
DVZDQ$VZHVHHLWIURPWKH8.WKHELUGLVƆ\LQJ
down the sky, Deneb marking the tail and the
beautiful telescopic double star Albireo (Beta (`) Cygni)
3(7(/$:5(1&(;,672&.;1$6$;

representing the head, or rather beak. With the Milky

Way present in this region there are lots of deep sky
objects on show, but strangely among the many
clusters and patches of nebulosity, there are only two
Messier objects; M29 and M39. The core shape of
&\JQXVLVWKDWRIDODUJHFURVVWKHSDWWHUQLGHQWLƅHGE\
the asterism known as the Northern Cross.
Vega’s host is Lyra, the Lyre, a harp-like musical

68 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 July 2025

July's NORTH

night sky

Ca
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lla
See page 37 for a _
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_
key to this chart
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SOUTH July's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury Jupiter Uranus
Greatest eastern elongation May be visible low above Low conjunction with Venus
Ǩ RQ-XO\SRRUO\ northeast horizon from RQ-XO\5HDFKLQJǨ
located in evening sky. mid-July in the dawn altitude at the end of FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON
twilight. the month. 2 July 10 July
Venus
,QFRQMXQFWLRQZLWK8UDQXV Saturn Neptune
July and near M35 on 31 July. Improving morning planet, 9HU\QHDU6DWXUQ5HDFKHV
UHDFKLQJǨDOWLWXGHXQGHU ǨDOWLWXGHXQGHUGDUNQHVV
Mars relatively dark twilight on by the end of the month. LAST QUARTER NEW MOON
Poor position evening planet. 31 July. 18 July 24 July

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 69

70 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025
 August 2025

August
There's late summer planetary
action and moon events on
Saturn and Jupiter this month
11 August Titan eclipsed by Saturn’s shadow

12 August9HQXVǨIURP-XSLWHU PRUQLQJ

20 August,PSUHVVLYHGLVSOD\RISODQHWVDQG
WKHZDQLQJFUHVFHQW0RRQ PRUQLQJ

27 August Titan eclipsed by Saturn’s shadow

31 August*DQ\PHGH VVKDGRZWUDQVLWV
-XSLWHU %67 87

Y Star trails
Jason Mead, Nash Point, south Wales, 4 May 2024

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 71

 August
Nights get longer and darker during
August, a month known for its
meteor activity. The highlight is the
Perseid shower, which is predicted
to peak at 21:00 BST (20:00 UT) on
12 August. Several minor meteor
showers also reach peak activity
in the days around this period, but
viewing could be tricky with a bright
Moon in the sky.
The planets are slowly improving
after the solstice, Saturn and
Neptune both able to reach their
SHDNDOWLWXGHVDURXQGǨXSXQGHU
dark sky conditions after 17 August.
They are synced because they
currently appear really close to one another, a situation S Jupiter and transits the planet again on 31 August, this time visible
which will persist for a few months. Venus appear under darker sky conditions between 03:38-06:36 BST
ǨDSDUWRQ
Through the telescope Saturn’s rings currently (02:38-05:36 UT).
12 August, best
appear very narrow, good news if you’ve not seen any seen from 03:30 Lengthening nights in August effectively halt the
Titan interactions with Saturn yet, as the narrow tilt BST (02:30 UT) demise of the summer Milky Way. Despite its inevitable
will allow us to follow such events through to February low above the daily western drift, earlier darkness helps keep this
east-northeast
2026. There’s a Titan shadow transit on 3 August from horizon impressive area of sky visible in the same general
07:05 BST (06:05 UT) until Saturn sets under bright sky position relative to the horizon during August. Look low
conditions. Another marginally more to the south and see whether you
favourable shadow transit starts at South is up can spot the Teapot asterism in
06:30 BST (05:30 UT) on 19 August. Sagittarius, the Archer.
In addition there are a couple of The handle to the east of the
opportunities to see Titan eclipsed Teapot is perhaps the easiest
by Saturn’s shadow; 05:36 BST Titan shadow transit section to spot. Binoculars will reveal
(04:36 UT) on 11 August and 04:58 $XJXVW87 many interesting deep-sky objects
6DWXUQVHWVDW87
BST (03:58 UT) on 27 August. where the steam can be imagined to
Not to be left out, Jupiter has rise out of the spout. These include
some less common moon-planet the superb Lagoon Nebula M8 and
interactions on view, with two the fainter yet photographically
daylight Ganymede shadow beautiful 7ULƅG1HEXOD0, further
transits on 2 August (11:36-14:38 Titan shadow transit to the north. Heading up towards
BST (10:36-13:38 UT)) and 9 August $XJXVW87 diamond-shaped Scutum, the
6DWXUQVHWVDW87
(15:37-18:37 BST (14:37-17:37 UT)). It’s Shield look out for M17, a bright
perfectly possible to observe Jupiter Titan emission nebula that seems to have
under daylight, assuming you can garnered far too many informal
ƅQGLWDOWKRXJKWKHSODQHWGRHVORRN names, being known as the Swan,
faint with low contrast. On 12 August Lobster, Horseshoe, Omega Nebula,
(14:07-16:39 BST (13:07-15:39 UT)) amongst others. The Eagle Nebula
Jupiter daylight location skills come Titan eclipsed M16 sits just north of M17, but the
$XJXVW877LWDQWDNLQJPLQXWHVWRGLVDSSHDU
PETE LAWRENCE X 3, ISTOCK X 7, NASA X 4

into their own as Callisto’s shadow nebulosity here is tricky to see with
performs a rare transit of the planet, Titan smaller scopes. What’s most likely to
an event repeated on 29 August be seen is the cluster of stars which
(08:03-10:51 BST (07:03-09:51 UT). formed out of the nebula gas.
The second event may be easier to
see as Jupiter can be initially located W Two tricky daylight Titan shadow
transits and two deep twilight views
in the dawn twilight when visible to Titan eclipsed
of Titan being eclipsed by Saturn’s
$XJXVW877LWDQWDNLQJPLQXWHVWRGLVDSSHDU
the naked eye. Ganymede’s shadow shadow occur this month

72 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 August 2025

August's NORTH

night sky LY

R
NX

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IN
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See page 37 for a

O
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key to this chart

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SOUTH August's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury Mars darkness from 17 Aug.
Morning planet, difficult to Poorly located in bright
see at the start of the evening twilight. Uranus
month, easier to spot after Morning planet, best end FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER
19 Aug. Jupiter $XJZKHQUHDFKHVǨ 1 Aug 9 Aug 16 Aug
52 arcseconds from Venus 12 altitude in dark conditions.
Venus Aug at 04:30 BST (03:30 UT).
Morning planet, near M35 Neptune
at the start of Aug. Jupiter Saturn Morning planet near Saturn.
conjunction 12 Aug. Near Morning planet, reaching 5HDFKHVSHDNDOWLWXGHRIǨ NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER
M44 31 Aug. SHDNDOWLWXGHRIǨXQGHU under darkness from 17 Aug. $XJ 31 Aug

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 73

 Autumn constellation

Constellation of the season

AUTUMN: Cetus Although often described as a whale, Cetus is typically and around 78% of the Sun’s mass. Lying at a distance
associated with the mythology of a sea monster. of 12 lightyears, it’s known to have at least four planets
Cetus was sent by Poseidon to ravage the land ruled by with the possibility of four more, all likely larger versions
King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia after the queen of Earth (‘super Earths’), two are within the star’s
boasted that her daughter Andromeda was more habitable zone. These properties and its relatively close
beautiful than the sea nymphs. King Cepheus was SUR[LPLW\PDNH7DX&HWLSRSXODUZLWKVFLHQFHƅFWLRQ
advised that the only way to stop the destruction of his writers. It’s also a common target for Search for Extra
kingdom was to chain Andromeda to a coastal rock as Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) projects.
VDFULƅFHWR&HWXV3HUVHXVVZRRSHGLQRQWKHEDFNRI Mira (Omicron (k) Cetis), meaning ‘wonderful’ or
Pegasus, the Flying Horse, saving the day by showing ‘astonishing’ in Latin is a pulsating red giant star, which
the head of the Gorgon Medusa to Cetus, turning the changes in brightness over a period of 332 days. On
monster to stone. average, it peaks around mag. +3.4, but has been
observed to go as high as mag. +2.0. The next peak
A cosmological mix-up is expected in early April 2025, which is unfortunate
The whale reference comes from the Latin name Cetus, because Cetus will be lost in the Sun’s glare. To locate
which means ‘whale’. Constellation line-art depictions 0LUDŝVSRVLWLRQLQWKHPRQVWHUŝVQHFNƅUVWLGHQWLI\WKH
of Cetus look distinctly whale-like; a large, elongated FRUGW\LQJWKHWZRƅVKWRJHWKHULQ3LVFHVWKH)LVK7KH
body incorporating a rounded head and forked tail at faint stars of the cord consist of two parts joined at the
the other end. In the sky, this outline faces west, the tail star Alrescha (Alpha (_) Piscium), which point at Mira.
T Left: raised high to the northeast. This is completely wrong! Cetus has two notable deep-sky objects — M77 and
Although not
The brightest star in the head, possibly the mouth in our NGC 246. M77 is a barred spiral galaxy, which shines
strictly within
Cetus, Diphda erroneous description, is Diphda or Deneb Kaitos (Beta with an integrated apparent magnitude of +8.9, and is
(Beta (`) Ceti) (`) Ceti). The name Deneb Kaitos means ‘whale’s tail’ located 53 arcminutes to the east and slightly south
is the best which would seem appropriate given Cetus’s supposed of Delta (b) Ceti. NGC 246 is a planetary nebula, known
navigational
pointer to representation. To complicate further, in 2016 the IAU as the Skull Nebula. It appears 3.8-arcminutes in
the beautiful DSSURYHG'LSKGDDVWKHRIƅFLDOQDPHRIWKLVVWDUZKLFK diameter and is bright at mag. +8.0. Its central star is an
Sculptor Galaxy, means ‘frog’. example of a hierarchical triple star system — a stable
NGC 253
The northeast section of Cetus contains the bright arrangement where multiple orbits barely interact.
Right: The Skull orange star Menkar (Alpha (_) Ceti), meaning ‘nostril’. When Diphda is due south and close to maximum
Nebula, NGC 246, Clearly, the creature represented by Cetus is facing east DOWLWXGHORRNǨWRWKHVRXWKIRU1*&WKH6FXOSWRU
is a beautiful
rather than west, the misshapen pentagon of stars Galaxy. While not within Cetus itself, NGC 253 (Silver
planetary nebula
within the body containing Menkar representing the head. Dollar Galaxy) is just over the border in Sculptor, the
of Cetus Tau (o) Ceti is a star spectrally similar to our own Sun Sculptor, shining with an integrated magnitude of +8.0.
ALL PICTURES: PETE LAWRENCE

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 75

76 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025
 September 2025

September
Don't miss the plethora of
lunar spectacles this month
7 September Total lunar eclipse at moonrise
(evening twilight)

12 September Moon occults the Pleiades

(evening)

19 September Daylight lunar occultation

of Venus

20 September Titan and its shadow transit

Saturn together (from 05:13 BST (04:13 UT))

21 September Saturn at opposition

Y Aurora borealis
Andy Morl, Grassholme Observatory, Teesdale,
County Durham, 10 May 2024

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 77

 September
Night expands at its fastest rate as 7 September, 20:00 BST (19:00 UT) W The Moon rises at 19:45 BST (18:45
Earth experiences its second annual Moon’s altitude 1.5° UT) totally eclipsed on 7 September.
Times shown for the centre of the UK
equinox on 22 September. It’s a
good job too, as there is a lot Yet another big lunar event occurs
going on! on 19 September when the Moon
On 7 September the rising Moon occults Venus. Again, circumstances
will look redder than usual. A low E ESE aren’t perfect as the event occurs
Moon naturally looks red due to the during daylight. With clear skies,
thick atmosphere near the horizon 7 September, 20:15 BST (19:15 UT) Venus should be easy to see, but the
scattering a lot of its blue light. Moon’s altitude 4° 5%-lit waning crescent Moon harder
However, as the Moon rises on to spot. The occultation is between
7 September, it’s also totally 12:48 BST (11:48 UT) and 14:07 BST
eclipsed by Earth’s shadow. Exciting (13:07 UT), Venus shining at mag.
though this sounds, it’ll make -3.8, appearing 11 arcseconds across
identifying the Moon initially tricky, E ESE with an 88%-lit phase.
its dimmed light lost in atmospheric On 20 September it’s a different
murk. Rising above the eastern moon grabbing attention. Between
7 September, 20:30 BST (19:30 UT)
horizon at 19:45 BST (18:45 UT), a Moon’s altitude 6° 05:13-09:27 BST (04:13-08:27 UT)
few minutes after this you’ll see Saturn’s largest moon Titan transits
an odd-shaped object in the sky the planet along with its shadow.
just above the horizon, the bright It’s not often you get to see Titan
Saturn
portion of the Moon slowly being and its shadow transiting Saturn
released from the umbral shadow, E ESE together. Being so close to Saturn’s
WKHHFOLSVHGSDUWKDUGWRVHHDWƅUVW opposition on 21 September, the
This now partial phase of the eclipse shadow will almost appear to touch
7 September, 20:45 BST (19:45 UT)
ends at 20:56 BST (19:56 UT), the Moon’s altitude 8° Titan. From the UK, Saturn sets at
0RRQŝVDOWLWXGHEHLQJǨ 07:02 BST (06:02 UT) before the
Five days later, on 12 September, event concludes.
the Moon occults the Pleiades open Saturn Bright Jupiter has a couple of
cluster. This occurs from moonrise interesting moon events too. On
at 21:00 BST (20:00 UT) to around 15 September a very infrequent
E ESE
midnight BST (23:00 UT). The 68%- Moon’s size exaggerated for clarity transit of Callisto’s shadow can
lit waning gibbous Moon should be be seen between 02:02-05:10 BST
obvious soon after rising, but the Pleiades may require (01:02-04:10 UT). On 27 September between 05:54-
a bit of altitude before they can be seen. 06:41 BST (04:54-05:41 UT) Io and Europa’s shadows
both cross Jupiter’s disc at the same time in a double
19 September, 2025 shadow transit event.
In the background, the stars of summer are slowly
but surely drifting westward. At the southern end
Moon 5%-lit Reappearance
waning crescent 14:07 BST (13:07 UT) of the Northern Cross asterism in Cygnus, head
$OWLWXGHǨ southeast from Albireo (Beta (`) Cygni) to pass
through Vulpecula, the Fox, with the relatively bright
Dumbbell Nebula M27, along with the asterism known
as the Coathanger Cluster or Collinder 399.
Lunar night side Keep heading southeast and you’ll pass through
shown for clarity
PETE LAWRENCE X 3, ISTOCK X 7, NASA X 4

Disappearance (not visible in the small distinctive shape of Sagitta the arrow – it
12:48 BST (11:48 UT) daylight) does look just like an arrow. The progression of small
$OWLWXGHǨ
constellations continues southeast through Delphinus,
the Dolphin, which looks like a diamond with a small
Times correct for central UK and will vary slightly with location. Observe at
least 20 minutes before stated times for safety. Solar precautions need to be tail. Finally, there’s Equuleus, the Foal, a small, faint
FRQVLGHUHG6XQZLOOEHǨDZD\
quadrilateral easily overlooked. The foal leads the way
towards Pegasus, the Flying Horse immediately east,
S A daylight lunar occultation of Venus occurs on 19 September, mag. -3.8
Venus appearing 11 arcseconds across and 88%-illuminated a sure sign that autumn is on the way.

78 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 September 2025

September's NORTH

night sky UR
OR
MAJSA
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ra
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See page 37 for a a

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key to this chart

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alh _
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SOUTH September's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury Mars opposition on 21 Sept with a
Near Regulus in morning sky, Evening planet not visible SHDNDOWLWXGHDURXQGǨ
lost from 3 Sept onwards. this month.
Solar conjunction on Uranus FULL MOON LAST QUARTER
13 Sept. Jupiter Improving morning planet, 7 Sep 14 Sep
Improving morning planet UHDFKLQJSHDNDOWLWXGHRIǨ
Venus UHDFKLQJǨDOWLWXGHRQ in darkness from 22 Sept on.
Morning planet rising 3 hours Sept. Near Wasat 6 & 7 Sept.
before the Sun on 1 Sept. Neptune
Daylight lunar occultation Saturn Near Saturn, reaching NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER
on 19th Sept. Well presented this month, opposition on 23 Sept. 21 Sep 29 Sep

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 79

October
Titan is on show this month,
with a shadow transit of
Saturn and then an occultation
2 October Dwarf planet Ceres at opposition
(evening)

6 October Titan and its shadow transit

Saturn (from 02:25 BST (01:25 UT))

7 October Harvest Moon for 2025

21 October Orionid meteor shower peak

26 October End of British Summer Time,

clocks go back an hour

29 October Titan occulted by Saturn

(20:38 UT)

Mineral Moon Z
Fernando Menezes, Munhoz,
Minas Gerais, Brazil, 14 May 2024

80 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 October 2025

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 81

 October
occulted by Saturn at 23:56 BST (22:56 UT). Another
2025 peak predicted to occur Titan and shadow transit occurs on the night of 21
at noon on 21 October
TAURUS
October starting at 23:44 BST (22:44 UT), another
Titan occultation starts at 20:38 UT on 29 October.
The Orionid meteor shower peaks at noon on 21
October, so optimal viewing nights are on 20/21 and
Orionid peak
21 October 10 Oct
21/22 October. The shower produces a peak zenithal
20 Oct ORION hourly rate (ZHR) of 25 meteors per hour, although
30 Oct what you'll actually see will be lower. Conditions are
Alhena favourable this year with a new Moon on 21 October.
Bellatrix A new Moon is ideal for viewing stars and
constellations. Early evening in the autumn, the most
Betelgeuse
GEMINI prominent shape is the large, but not bright, Great
Square of Pegasus. South of the Square lies the even
fainter stars of the Circlet asterism, representing the
MONOCEROS ZHVWHUQƅVKRI3LVFHVWKH)LVKSaturn and Neptune
are currently both located just southeast of the Circlet.
Moon phase
Southwest of the Circlet is the large sprawling
M42 constellation of Aquarius, the Water Bearer, its most
20 Oct 21 Oct 22 Oct Rigel
distinguishing feature being the three-pronged Water
1% waning crescent New Moon 1% waxing crescent
rises at 06:40 BST sets at 17:45 BST Jar asterism, also known as the Steering Wheel)ROORZ
(05:40 UT) (16:45 UT)
the line of the western edge of the Great Square of
Pegasus south and eventually you’ll arrive at the most
This year is the year of moon phenomena with our S Conditions VRXWKHUO\ƅUVWPDJQLWXGHVWDUYLVLEOHIURPWKH8.
own Moon and the major moons of Jupiter and Saturn couldn’t be Fomalhaut (Alpha (_) Piscis Austrinus).
putting on some infrequently seen events. better for the The northeast corner of the Great Square is marked
Orionid meteor
The full Moon on 7 October is the closest to the shower peak by Alpheratz (Alpha (_) Andromedae) the primary
September equinox on 22 September, making it the star of Andromeda, the Chained Princess. The
Harvest Moon for 2025. It’s also a supermoon, or T Dwarf planet main form of this constellation appears like a large
perigee full Moon (lunar perigee when the Moon is Ceres reaches wedge spreading northeast from Alpheratz. Located
closest to Earth, occurring on 8 October). opposition on 2 half-way along the northern edge of the wedge is
October, shining
The Harvest Moon’s orbital geometry relative to at mag. +7.5
the Andromeda Galaxy M13, the farthest object
Earth minimises the difference between rise times for against the stars visible with the naked eye from a typical back garden
the fuller phases. Sounding more complex than it is, of Cetus location, lying at a distance of 2.5 million lightyears.
this is best illustrated by example. Moonrise for the
97%-lit waxing gibbous Moon on 5 October is 18:03
PISCES
BST (17:03 UT). On 6 October when virtually full, it rises j
_
just 10 minutes later at 18:13 BST (17:13 UT), and then
Alrescha
just after full Moon on the evening of 7 October rises
12 minutes later at 18:25 BST (17:25 UT). The bright f
Moons, which are above the horizon at roughly similar
times over several evenings, are perfect for harvest q 31 Oct
e 1 Oct 11 Oct q
collection. The average rise time difference throughout
21 Oct
the year is 50 minutes. d q q
Jupiter’s outer Galilean moon Callisto transits the
1 Ceres
PETE LAWRENCE X 3, ISTOCK X 7, NASA X 4

planet on 2 October between 07:48-11:38 BST (06:48- c r

10:38 UT) under daylight conditions. A better-timed Diphda
opportunity occurs on 19 October between 02:01-06:01 `
BST (01:01-05:01 UT). l o
Saturn’s largest moon Titan transits Saturn on the
morning of 6 October (02:25-07:44 BST (01:25-06:44
m CETUS
UT)) followed by its shadow (04:51-08:30 BST (03:51-
07:30 UT)). On the evening of 13 October Titan is p

82 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 October 2025

October's NORTH

night sky 51

zar
MAJOR M
a

Mi
URSA
See page 37 for a k

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ra b
Me Ploug

1
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key to this chart

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SCULPTOR

SOUTH October's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury Mars the UK.
Greatest eastern elongation Evening planet, not visible.
on 29 October, but too low in Uranus
the evening sky to be seen. Jupiter Well-placed morning FULL MOON LAST QUARTER
Bright morning planet. planet south of the Pleiades, 7 Oct 13 Oct
Venus 5HDFKHVǨDOWLWXGHXQGHU UHDFKLQJǨDOWLWXGH
Morning planet, rising 2 darkness at end of month.
hours and 15 minutes before Neptune
sunrise on 1 October. Saturn Evening planet, in Pisces.
Harder to see at the end Evening planet, in Aquarius. 5HDFKHVǨDOWLWXGH NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER
of October. 5HDFKHVǨDOWLWXGHIURP when due south. 21 Oct 29 Oct

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 83

November
A comet buzzes the Beehive
and Titan is covered first by
Saturn, then its shadow
8-11 November Comet 24P/Schaumasse
crosses the Beehive Cluster, M44

14 November Titan occulted and partially

eclipsed by Saturn

17 November Leonid meteor shower peak

21 November Uranus at opposition (evening)

22 November Titan transits Saturn

(18:52-01:10 UT)

The Pleiades Z
Harshwardhan Pathak, captured remotely via Telescope Live,
Heaven’s Mirror Observatory, Australia and IC Astronomy
Observatory, Spain, 10 September–18 November 2023

84 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 November 2025

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 85

 November
Further east still, the wet theme spills into the winter
22 Oct sky with Cetus, the Whale east of Aquarius, followed
Jupiter
LYNX by the long winding pattern of Eridanus, the River
_ f 27 Oct
l
starting near the bright star Rigel (Beta (`) Orionis)
+
p p 1 Nov in the southwest corner of Orion, the Hunter. Orion
o l
moves into a prominent position in the early morning.
6 Nov
i a d c The impressive stars of winter around Orion include
g 8 Nov Canis Major, the Great Dog, Canis Minor, the Little
Asellus Borealis
11 Nov
M44 e Dog, Gemini, the Twins and Taurus, the Bull, the
j
+ b Asellus Australis latter bridging the gap between autumn and winter.
Rasalas 16 Nov
h
¡ <RXFDQƅQGWKHWZREULJKWHVWVWDUVLQ*HPLQL
Sickle
`
21 Nov CANCER Castor (Alpha (_) Geminorum) and Pollux (Beta (`)
24P/Schaumasse k Altarf
Geminorum) by following the line from Rigel through
M67
c / Betelgeuse (Alpha (_) Orionis) in Orion’s northeast
26 Nov Acubens _
corner, for twice that distance again. Castor and Pollux
Algieba a LEO b
¡ represent the heads of the heavenly twins. Although
1 Dec
d c l m similar, Pollux is slightly brighter and redder.
j
d Located east of Gemini is a very early taste of spring
6 Dec
k HYDRA with Cancer, the Crab, a faint inverted-Y pattern
Regulus
_ with the beautiful Beehive Cluster M44, at its core.
Between 8-11 November ninth magnitude comet
24P/Schaumasse appears to cross this cluster. This
Long, dark November nights are ideal for observing S Comet 24P/ provides an easy way to locate the comet and a
the stars and constellations. Early evening you can Schaumasse wonderful photo opportunity. The only problem will
appears to cross
still view the stars of summer, including the Summer the Beehive be a bright Moon nearby, which will really make the
Triangle asterism. Given a clear, dark, moonless sky, Cluster M44 on diffuse comet harder to see. Don’t be put off though
you can still follow the summer Milky Way right down 8-11 November because, as 24P continues to track east, it is predicted
to the core region in Sagittarius, the Archer. To to brighten, reaching mag. +7.6 at the end of November,
the west of this rich part of the sky is the triangular and will be located within the backward question mark
sandwich-shaped pattern of Capricornus, the Sea T Leonid asterism known as the Sickle in Leo, the Lion.
meteor shower
Goat, opening the door to the watery constellations of 7KH6LFNOHLVVLJQLƅFDQWIRUDQRWKHUDQQXDOO\
peak predicted
autumn, including Aquarius, the Water Bearer, Piscis for early evening occurring event that happens in November, the
Austrinus, the Southern Fish and Pisces, the Fish. on 17 November Leonid meteor shower. This year’s shower peaks on
the evening of 17 November, giving the best views
2025 peak predicted to occur later that night and into the morning of 18 November.
at 18:00 UT on 17 November The Leonid shower is active between 6-30 November
producing a ZHR of around 15 meteors per hour during
CANCER M44
a typical peak period.
A number of interesting Titan-related events occur
LEO MINOR + 10 Nov
this month. After Titan is occulted by Saturn between
URSA ¡
MAJOR Sickle 18:48-00:35 UT on 14/15 November, the moon then
Leonid peak
c
17/18 November goes on to be partially eclipsed by Saturn’s shadow
20 Nov
Algieba from 01:25 UT until the planet sets just after 02:00 UT.
a
30 Nov d
k
The partial eclipse starts with Saturn at a tricky
Regulus ǨDOWLWXGH
PETE LAWRENCE X 3, ISTOCK X 7, NASA X 4

b _
Then, on 22 November, there’s a well-timed transit of
HYDRA
LEO Titan between 18:52-01:10 UT and another occultation
e l
by Saturn can be seen on 30 November between
Moon phase
Denebola 17:22-23:24 UT. If you’re wondering why we have put a
Alphard
` _
f lot of emphasis on Titan-related events this year, it’s
m 18 Nov because they will gradually start to peter out during
VIRGO 3% waning crescent
rises at 06:00 UT WKHƅUVWSDUWRIDQGWKHQH[WVHWZRQŝWRFFXUIRU
approximately 13 years.

86 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 November 2024

November's NORTH

night sky M101

See page 37 for a MA
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Miz
SA R
key to this chart

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ERID
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_ FORNAX
`

SOUTH November's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury Mars under dark sky conditions all
After inferior conjunction on Not visible this month. month.
20 November, visible in the
morning sky at the end of Jupiter Uranus FULL MOON LAST QUARTER
the month. Superb morning planet in Well-positioned evening 5 Nov 12 Nov
Gemini reaching just shy of SODQHWUHDFKLQJǨDOWLWXGH
Venus ǨDOWLWXGHZKHQGXHVRXWK when due south. Opposition
Morning planet rising 1 hour on 21 November.
40 minutes before sunrise on Saturn
1 November, lost by the end Well-positioned evening Neptune NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER
of the month. SODQHWUHDFKLQJǨDOWLWXGH Evening planet near Saturn. 20 Nov 28 Nov

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 87

 Winter constellation

Constellation of the season

WINTER: Cepheus Cepheus represents a king of Ethiopia, husband of star. Its importance comes about because its period
Queen Cassiopeia and father of Andromeda. Boasting RIYDULDWLRQLVGLUHFWO\SURSRUWLRQDOWRLWVOXPLQRVLW\,I
that their daughter was the most beautiful creature on \RXFDQLGHQWLI\VLPLODUYDULDEOHW\SHVLQVD\DGLVWDQW
Earth, Cassiopeia angered the sea god Poseidon, who JDOD[\NQRZLQJWKHLUSHULRGWHOOV\RXKRZOXPLQRXVWKH\
sent the sea monster Cetus to ravage the kingdom in DUH7KHUHIRUHIURPWKHLUDSSDUHQWOXPLQRVLW\\RXFDQ
revenge. Cepheus was advised to take Andromeda to GHWHUPLQHKRZIDUDZD\D&HSKHLGPXVWEHLQRUGHUWR
WKHVKRUHDQGFKDLQKHUWRDURFNDVVDFULƅFHWR&HWXV appear as bright as it does.
%XWWKHVDFULƅFHZDVWKZDUWHGE\WKH*UHHNKHUR 7KH0LON\:D\FOLSVLQWRWKHVRXWKHUQSDUWRIWKH
Perseus, who rescued Andromeda and turned Cetus to house, covering about half of the bottom square. This
VWRQHE\VKRZLQJLWWKHKHDGRIWKH*RUJRQ0HGXVD UHJLRQLVULFKLQGHHSVN\REMHFWVVXFKDVWKHH[SDQVLYH
Victorious, Perseus claimed Andromeda for his bride. IC 1396 region, a large, low surface brightness area of
But Andromeda had been promised to Cepheus’s HPLVVLRQQHEXORVLW\KDQJLQJVRXWKRIIWKHKRXVHŝV
brother Phineus who, with some support, gate-crashed base. This region contains the popular Elephant’s Trunk
WKHZHGGLQJIHDVW$EORRG\EDWWOHHQVXHG&HSKHXV Nebula IC 1396A, a dark patch with a bright edge which
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Phineus’s attackers to stone. Located against the northern edge of IC 1396 is Erakis
0X +) Cephei) a red variable star. Known as Herschel’s
Upside down king *DUQHW6WDU0XŝVGHHSRUDQJHDSSHDUDQFHKLGHVWKH
As a constellation, Cepheus is described as resembling IDFWWKDWLWŝVDPRQVWURXVVXSHUJLDQWVWDUSRVVLEO\D
T /HIW7KH
Iris Nebula, a child’s drawing of a house; a classic square base with a K\SHUJLDQWHVWLPDWHGWREHDERXWWLPHVODUJHU
1*&LV triangular roof. But viewing the tip of the roof as the top DQGWLPHVPRUHOXPLQRXVWKDQRXU6XQ
a beautiful of the house gives the wrong impression of Cepheus’s 7KH:L]DUG1HEXODLVDQHPLVVLRQQHEXOD6K
UHƆHFWLRQQHEXOD
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surrounding
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+' the house. His feet lie north of the roof near the North LVYHU\KDUGWRVHHDPPVFRSHUHYHDOLQJDERXW
&HOHVWLDO3ROHDSSUR[LPDWHO\PDUNHGE\3RODULV stars in the associated cluster.
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Nebula, its (Alpha (_) Cephei), a name meaning ‘the right arm’. VXUURXQGVWKHPDJVWDU+'9LVLEOHWKURXJK
embedded
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catalogued as WKHRQHVOLJKWO\IXUWKHUHDVWLV'HOWD b) Cephei, the XVHDYHUWHGYLVLRQORRNLQJVOLJKWO\WRWKHVLGHRIWKHVWDU
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$//3,&785(63(7(/$:5(1&(

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 89

December
Transits of Titan and peaks
of two meteor showers
round off the year
4 December Moon occults the Pleiades
(early morning)

8 December Titan transits Saturn

(17:38-23:52 UT)

13/14 December Geminid meteor shower peak

22 December Ursid meteor shower peak

24 December Titan transits Saturn

(16:58-22:59 UT)

The Running Chicken Nebula, IC 2944 Z

Gerardo N Rigiroli, Mar Del Plata, Argentina, 4–7 April 2024

90 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 December 2025

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 91

 December
for 08:00 UT on 14 December. A rich shower with a
2025 peak nights are relatively broad peak, the best views will be on 12/13,
12/13, 13/14 and 14/15
05 Dec 13/14 and 14/15 December. The Moon will a waning
December
crescent and won’t interfere much. The shower’s peak
Geminid 10 Dec
radiant ZHR is around 120 meteors per hour.
GEMINI The Ursid meteor shower is active between
Peak 14 Dec
17-25 December, the peak predicted for 16:00 UT on
15 Dec ¡ 22 December, with the best rates expected after dusk
that day. The Ursid shower has a much lower ZHR of
Castor
_ 10 meteors per hour. New Moon on 20 December
20 Dec means it will be unaffected by moonlight, as well.
The stars and constellations have now turned full
circle and Orion, the Hunter dominates the view.
Pollux ` There are lots of deep-sky objects to look out for in
and around Orion, due to the presence of the winter
b
Milky WayƆRZLQJXSWRWKHOHIWRI2ULRQWKURXJKWKH
feet of Gemini, the Twins, past the horn tips of Taurus,
Moon phase the Bull and through Auriga, the Charioteer. After
this it passes through Perseus, the Greek Hero, before
meandering into Cassiopeia, the Seated Queen.
12/13 Dec 13/14 Dec 14/15 Dec
37%-lit waning crescent 28%-lit waning crescent 19%-lit waning crescent &DVVLRSHLDŝVŜ:ŝVKDSHLVTXLWHGLVWLQFWLYHDQGD
rises at 01:20 UT rises at 02:35 UT rises at 03:50 UT
binocular sweep of the pattern reveals many open
clusters. Perhaps the best known is the pair that lie
EHWZHHQ&DVVLRSHLDDQG3HUVHXVWKH'RXEOH&OXVWHU
The Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice occurs on S A waning formed from h and Chi (r) Persei.
21 December, resulting in the longest and darkest skies Moon shouldn’t As we say goodbye to 2025, don’t forget to look
interfere too
of the year. As 2026 approaches, gas giants Jupiter much with this out for comet 24P/Schaumasse, which is visible in
and Saturn are well-placed, although evening twilight year’s Geminid the early morning, passing from Leo, the Lion north
knocks on Saturn’s door at the end of December. meteor shower RIWKH%RZORI9LUJR,W VDIUDFWLRQEULJKWHUWKDQVL[WK
peak
We’ve had some great Titan events this year thanks to magnitude at the end of the month.
Saturn’s recent equinox, but these end next February. MINOR
This month, there are two really well-timed transits on ` Sickle
M94
CANES i
8 and 24 December. VENATICI c
j
NGC 4214
-XSLWHUŝVǨD[LDOWLOWLVVLJQLƅFDQWO\OHVVWKDQ _ Algieba a
1 Dec
Ellis 6
6DWXUQŝVǨEXWHQRXJKWKDWLWVRXWHUPRRQ&DOOLVWR 24P/Schaumasse d
typically fails to interact with Jupiter’s globe. However, NGC 4631 COMA
BERENICES 6 Dec Regulus
b _
Jupiter’s next equinox at the end of 2026 is now close a Zosma
PGC 30378
HQRXJKIRUVRPH&DOOLVWRLQWHUDFWLRQV 11 Dec
LEO
Melotte 111
M105
On 7 December Callisto’s shadow transits Jupiter Chertan l
16 Dec e M96
between 18:58-22:47 UT, a precursor to the moon ` NGC 4725
21 Dec NGC 3628
M65
itself transiting Jupiter’s globe from 02:10-06:20 UT ` M66
M85
Denebola f
RQ'HFHPEHU2Q'HFHPEHU&DOOLVWRLVRFFXOWHG M64
M100 26 Dec
by Jupiter’s disc at 07:45 UT. Then on 24 December a 31 Dec
M88
M86 m
busy night has Io&DOOLVWRDQG,RŝVVKDGRZLQWUDQVLWDV M53
_ Diadem M84
M90 k i NGC 3521
M87
-XSLWHUULVHVDURXQG87,RŝVVKDGRZOHDYHVWKH 5 Jan
M80
3(7(/$:5(1&(;,672&.;1$6$;

l
GLVFDW,RIROORZLQJVXLWDW87WKHQ&DOOLVWR M49
Zavijava
¡ Vindemiatrix M61 ` p q
at 20:57 UT. At 23:22 UT Europa’s shadow makes an 10 Jan

appearance followed by Europa at 00:12 UT. Europa’s Bowl of Virgo

NGC 4636
shadow leaves transit at 02:18 UT, Europa at 03:08 UT. Auva
b Zaniah
d CRATER
You’ll need a telescope to see these events but no VIRGO e
¡
Porrima
a
equipment is needed to enjoy December’s two main b
meteor showers. The annual Geminid meteor shower S &RPHW36FKDXPDVVHEULJKWHQVIURPPDJWRE\WKHHQGRI
is active between 4-17 December, the peak predicted December, peaking at +5.8 in early January 2026

92 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 December 2025

December's NORTH

night sky

b
¡
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See page 37 for a

a
key to this chart

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SOUTH December's key

Visible planets Moon phases
Where to spot the planets this month
Mercury the Sun to be visible.
Morning planet visible until Uranus
around 23 Dec, greatest Jupiter Nicely placed evening planet,
western elongation on 7 Dec. Superbly positioned morning mag. +5.6 in Taurus south of FULL MOON LAST QUARTER
planet reaching just shy of the Pleiades. 4 Dec 11 Dec
Venus ǨDOWLWXGHZKHQGXHVRXWK
Morning planet but not Neptune
visible this month. Saturn Evening binocular planet
Evening planet just able to located close to Saturn.
Mars UHDFKSHDNDOWLWXGHRIǨ 3HDNDOWLWXGHRIǨZKHQ NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER
Evening planet too close to under darkness all month. due south. 20 Dec 27 Dec

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 93

Annular solar eclipse
Greg Meyer, Capitol Reef National
Park, Utah, USA, 14 October 2023

Gallery
WINNERS
monthly astrophotography competition in 2024
94 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025
 Gallery: 2024 winners

U The Soul
Nebula
Jon Kelly, Tockwith,
North Yorkshire,
10 December
2021, 19, 21 and 27
January 2022,
16–17 January 2023

NGC 5078
and NGC
5101 Z
Daniel Stern, Rio
Hurtado, Chile,
March-July 2024

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 95

 U Milky Way over Volcán de Fuego
Chirag Upreti, Acatenango summit, Guatemala, 9 November 2023

Y The Christmas Tree Cluster

Nicole Poersch, Prestwick, South Ayrshire,
November 2023–April 2024

U The Cat’s Eye Galaxy, M94

Alex Battu and Luca Barcaro, Castilléjar, Andalusia, Spain, 10–14
April 2024

96 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Gallery: 2024 winners

U The
Lobster
Nebula
Mohammed
Dawoud, Al
Kharrara, Qatar, 21
June 2024

The Heart
Nebula Z
Graham Prescott,
St Albans,
Hertfordshire,
December 2023–
January 2024

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 97

 Y Solar
eclipse
Ethan Dugar,
Newport, Arizona,
USA, 8 April 2024

V Corona
Australis
molecular
complex
Vikas Chander,
captured remotely
via Deep Sky Chile,
7–11 July 2024

98 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Gallery: 2024 winners

Abell 85
Michael Caligiuri,
Descanso,
California, USA,
31 August 2024

Comet 12P/
Pons-Brooks
Tim Jackson,
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire,
5 March 2024

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 99

 Challenge yourself

Project 1: Observe gas giant Jupiter

Keep a watch of the Solar System's largest planet and its many moons

30 Apr in the evening sky. For morning encounters the

Jupiter near the Moon is an
amazing sight when visible dates are 20 Aug, 16 Sep, 14 Oct, 10 Nov and 7 Dec.
in a dark sky, and there are
plenty of opportunities to
see this in 2025
Conjunction between Jupiter
and other planets
The frequency of planet-planet conjunctions is far
slower than lunar meet ups. The best facilitators are
the fast movers such as Mercury, Venus and Mars.
$JDLQDOWKRXJKWKHUHŝVQRUHDOVFLHQWLƅFLQWHUHVW
visually such pairings can be striking. During 2025, the
meet up of mag. -1.7 Jupiter with mag. -1.1 Mercury on
-XQLVWULFN\WRVHH-XSLWHULVǨVRXWKRI0HUFXU\LQ
a bright evening twilight sky. A more striking morning
conjunction with mag. -3.9 Venus occurs on 12 August,
mag. -1.8 Jupiter just 53-arcminutes north of Venus on
this date.
Jupiter is well presented at the start of 2025,
succumbing to the rapid expansion of evening twilight The telescope view
throughout March and April, not recovering position A small scope brings Jupiter to life. Here, it’s essential
again until August. Thereafter it’s superbly placed for to give your eye time to get used to the view. First
8.REVHUYLQJUHDFKLQJDSHDNDOWLWXGHRIDURXQGǨ and foremost, look at the shape of Jupiter’s disc and
when due south under dark skies. In this article, we’re whether you can see any dark belts crossing it. Jupiter
looking at a range of things that can be seen on and is 11 times larger than Earth and amazingly you could
around the planet. ƅWDOLWWOHRYHU(DUWKVLQVLGHWKLVJDVJLDQW,W
spins rapidly, one Jovian day a fraction shy of 10 hours.
Conjunctions between Jupiter Consequently, Jupiter appears to bulge around its
and the Moon equator, which is something easy to see through a
The Moon encounters Jupiter once a month. Despite small scope. Its equatorial radius is 71,492km compared
ODFNLQJDQ\VFLHQWLƅFLQWHUHVWYLVXDOO\WKHVLJKWRI to 66,854 in the polar direction.
bright Jupiter near the Moon is something that can stir As you get used to the view, two prominent dark
the imagination. During 2025, some especially good belts appear crossing Jupiter’s disc either side of its
encounters occur on 10 Jan, 6 Feb, 5 Mar, 2 Apr and equator. These are known as the South Equatorial Belt

Venus (right), Jupiter (left) The view of Jupiter you'd see

and Mars (upper right of with a small telescope (image
Jupiter) in conjunction taken with a smartphone
during October 2015 through a telescope eyepiece)
ALL PICTURES: PETE LAWRENCE

100 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Challenge yourself: Observe gas giant Jupiter

you to graph their movement in longitude

Zones
Belts SPR KEY over time, creating what’s known as a
SSTZ (S2TZ) S: South
SSTB (S2TB) STZ drift chart.
N: North
STB T: Temperate
GRS STrZ
SEB
SEB (S)
SEB (N) SEBZ
Tr: Tropical
E: Equatorial
The Jovian Moons
EB
EZ (S)
EZ (N) }EZ B: Belt
Z: Zone
$WWKHODVWFRXQW-XSLWHUKDVRIƅFLDOO\
recognised moons, only four being easily
NEB
NTrZ PR: Polar Region
NTB visible through smaller scopes. They are
NNTB (N2TB) NTZ
NNTZ (N2TZ) fascinating to watch as they dance back
NNNTB(N3TB)
NPR
NNNTZ (N3TZ) and forth each side of the planet’s disc and
at times may also appear to interact with
Jupiter. There are a whole range of interaction
S Jupiter has many belts and zones, some easier to see than others
events to observe and it’s interesting to try and record
(SEB) and North Equatorial Belt (NEB). Using a small each type for each moon. Doing this for Io and Europa
scope, once you’ve seen these, move on to try and isn’t hard because of their rapid orbits; 1.76 days for
ƅQGWKHGDUNHUSRODUUHJLRQV0HGLXPWRODUJHVFRSHV Io, 3.52 days for Europa (twice Io). Ganymede’s orbit
may reveal additional belts and zones in between is slower at 7.16 days (twice Europa), so catching its
a polar region and its nearest equatorial belt, but interactions is trickier, especially as they have to occur
EHDZDUHWKDWWKHVHFDQVRPHWLPHVEHGLIƅFXOWWR when Jupiter is above the horizon and visible!
clearly identify. Callisto (16.69 days) is a whole different story
Jupiter’s SEB has an interloper in the form of the because Jupiter’s small axial tilt means it and its
Great Red Spot (GRS), a persistent storm system which shadow miss Jupiter’s globe completely for many
sits within a scalloped region in the southern edge of months. However, when Jupiter is near an equinox,
the SEB, known as the GRS Hollow. Over recent years as is currently the case, interactions can be seen.
the GRS has shrunk longitudinally. Measuring the GRS’s We’ve mentioned a number of these throughout this
width is something that can be done using a technique T Transit and Yearbook, something we’ll follow up in the monthly
shadow transit
known as transit timing. When the GRS is visible, record magazine as well.
events. It’s also
when its preceding (leading) edge touches the planet’s possible to see
central meridian; an imaginary line running between more than one
the poles. moon and more How did you do?
than one shadow
Record the time the following edge of the GRS transiting How many of the listed events from conjunctions to
reaches the central meridian too. Using a program together moon events were you able to record?
such as the freeware WinJupos
(https://jupos.org/gh/download. Before opposition a moon’s shadow leads its moon, after opposition the shadow lags the
htm), dial in the date and times of moon. At oppostion a shadow lines up with the moon, typically appearing above or below
depending on how far from an equinox Jupiter happens to be. Moons may become hard to
your observations and record the
see during the period they are passing across Jupiter’s disc.
system II longitudes (L2) for each.
System I longitudes (L1) apply to
Shadow transit Transit
WKHHTXDWRULDO]RQH WRǨ / ingress (ShI) ingress (TrI)
applies to everything else. Work
out how many degrees of longitude
the GRS spans by subtracting the
ƅUVWYDOXHIURPWKHVHFRQG)LQDOO\
multiply the number of degrees by Shadow transit Transit
egress (ShE) egress (TrE)
1,187 to get the width of the GRS in
kilometres.
Those with larger instruments
may notice light and dark patches
Apparent direction
along or within belts and zones. S of movement of
These atmospheric features may be moon and shadow
relative to Jupiter
tracked in a similar way. Recording E
the longitude of each feature allows

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 101

 Challenge yourself

Project 2: View the Moon's valleys

Track down these spectacular and varied lunar features across the year

mechanism, but there are other

Location of lunar valleys
on the Earth-facing side ways they can form too. Massive
of the Moon impacts that create giant basins
or large craters may throw lunar
material away from the impact
zone, which can then impact the
surface to cause secondary impact
features. If the ejected material
fragments along the way, this can
result in chains of impacts which
form pseudo valleys, a consequence
of the impact craters creating a
continuous linear chain.
Two excellent examples lie near
the Moon’s eastern limb in the form
of Vallis Rheita and Vallis Snellius,
the latter is the Moon’s longest
valley at 592km. Both are examples
of long crater chains. Looked at
from above, their lines converge
at Mare Nectaris giving a strong
indication where they came from.
The Moon is a favourite object to look at through a Vallis Snellius is heavily eroded and tricky to pick out,
telescope. Of all the other objects we can see apart as it passes from 83km Snellius in a line between 177km
from Earth, it’s the only one with a rocky surface which Petavius and 126km Furnerius. The 500km Vallis Rheita
we can see intricate detail on. The closest second is much clearer, best seen four days after new Moon and
is Mars, but that’s too far away to see the sort of three days after full Moon.
geological features we see on the Moon. In addition,
T The multiple
each lunar month provides us with a roughly two-week impacts Crater chains
period per feature in which it can be observed under responsible for This multi-impact mechanism sometimes produces
changing light conditions. These are most dramatic Catena Abulfeda crater chains where the impacting fragments have
appear largely
when the terminator — the shadow line between lunar separate from moved too far apart to appear contiguous and the
night and day — is nearby. one another resulting ‘valley’ isn’t true. Such chains are known as
Relief features such as mountains, valleys, craters, and
VRRQDOOEHQHƅWIURPVKDGRZ$VWKH6XQFUHHSVRYHU
the horizon for a particular feature, or is close to setting,
oblique lighting exaggerates the shadows making lumps
and bumps appear far more dramatic than they actually
are. These are the times when the terminator is nearby.
ALL PICTURES: PETE LAWRENCE

Having said this, shadows associated with mountains

and valleys can also be due to them being physically
impressive in their own right.
Lunar valleys come in all shapes and sizes and can
result from several different formation mechanisms. As
you might expect, lunar geology is the most common

102 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Challenge yourself: Spot lunar valleys

LPDJH5XQQLQJFHQWUDOO\DORQJWKHƆRRURI9DOOLV$OSHV
is a crack 197km long, but just 600-700 metres in width.
Best suited for high-resolution imaging, it can be a
challenging feature to resolve.
Sadly, a number of impressive valleys are not well
presented to Earth, sitting too close to either the
eastern or western limbs. This is certainly the case for
203km Vallis Baade, 284km Vallis Bouvard and 148km
Vallis Inghirami, which are linked with the formation of
the libration locked Orientale Basin.
A shorter but better presented valley is available
in the form of 168km Vallis Schroteri, which is located
near to the bright crater Aristarchus. Unlike the other
examples mentioned, this one isn’t in a straight line,
S Vallis Alpes showing the narrow rille running down its centre, a feature 600- being an example of a sinuous rille, the largest example
700m in width
of this type of feature on the Moon. Believed to be
The wonderful snaking form volcanic in origin, Vallis Schroteri is widest at the start,
of Vallis Schroteri which can a position marked by a 6km crater 25km north of 35km
be found near the bright crater
Herodotus. This wide start to the valley has been nick-
Aristarchus (lower left)
named the ‘Cobra’s Head’. It then winds its way north,
turning northwest for a while before veering round to a
southwest direction, its entire length contained on the
elevated platform known as the Aristarchus Plateau.
Vallis Capella appears to run for around 200km and is
well presented as well. It appears to spear 50km Capella,
which is located immediately north of Mare Nectaris,
running northwest to southeast through the distinctive
crater. Unlike Vallis Snellius and Vallis Rheita, Vallis
Capella runs at a tangent to the edge of Mare Nectaris.
Not all valleys are long. Vallis Palitzsch, located
adjacent to the eastern rim of 177km Petavius, is an odd
example of a valley just 132km in length, but this is only
if you include 41km Palitzsch which forms the southern
end of the valley.

How did you do?

We’ve marked the position of a number of lunar valleys,
how many have you seen?
catena, and excellent examples include 210km Catena
Abulfeda and 50km Catena Davy, the latter being small
EXWEHDXWLIXOO\SUHVHQWHGDVLWFURVVHVWKHƆDWVXUIDFH
of 70km Davy Y. Although not strictly valleys, these are
very impressive under the right illumination.
Petavius
The most spectacular lunar valley seen from Earth
is most probably an example of a ‘graben’; a section of
the lunar surface which has fallen between two fault Vallis Palitzsch
lines. The feature we’re talking about is Vallis Alpes the
Alpine Valley, linking the northeast portion of Mare
Imbrium with Mare Frigoris further north and running Palitzsch
Vallis Palitzsch
a distance of 166km. A small telescope will show it appears like a
appearing like a straight ‘road’ between both mares. short gouge along
It’s also easy to photograph. Vallis Alpes holds a secret the eastern rim of
Petavius
which is a very challenging feature to see visually and to

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 103

 Challenge yourself

Project 3: Capture the Ringed Planet

Saturn is at equinox, opening a period when infrequent moon events become visible

more muted, outbreaks of activity do occur. The most

Saturn as it appeared on
17 March 2009 when its common anomalous features are typically bright
rings were very narrow, as storms which can appear as whitish spots in Saturn’s
will be the case in 2025
atmosphere. If they are long lived, they will sometimes
elongate into a feature of enormous complexity,
dragged around by the planet’s fast 10.5-hour spin rate.
A beautiful example is known as the Dragon Storm,
a persistent storm feature observed by the Cassini
spacecraft in Saturn’s southern hemisphere for many
years. Then, in 2010-2011, it was seen to erupt in the
northern hemisphere, an extensive eruption that saw it
turn into a greatly elongated feature visible by eye.

Sideways Saturn
What it lacks for in apparent atmospheric complexity,
Saturn makes up for with it’s glorious ring system.
However, this year, the rings appear very narrow
thanks to Saturn passing through an equinox during
WKHƅUVWZHHNRI0D\6DWXUQŝVWLOWLVǨEXW
Saturn has the largest number of moons in the Solar approximately every 15 years the planet’s tilt relative
System, 146 at the last count. Many of these aren’t WRWKH6XQUHDFKHVǨD6DWXUQLDQHTXLQR[$VLWŝVVR
visible to amateurs, but there is a decent number IDUIURPWKH6XQDQG(DUWKZHWRRJHWWRVHHLWHGJH
which can be tracked down. These range from the easy on at such times, but both planet’s orbital geometries
eighth magnitude Titan, to the elusively faint Phoebe, mean our sideways view is offset from Saturn’s actual
marginally brighter than mag. +17! Fortunately, the equinox and we get to see Saturn appearing edge on
ones in between cover the whole spectrum of easy to WRXVRQ0DUFK
T Like Jupiter,
$//3,&785(63(7(/$:5(1&(

GLIƅFXOWVRWKHUHŝVVRPHWKLQJIRUHYHU\ERG\
Saturn’s globe
Saturn, like Jupiter is a gas giant, but its atmosphere is covered in
appears less dynamic when viewed through a belts and zones,
however with the 23 March 2025
telescope. It’s many subtle belts and zones are labelled
Ringed Planet
as with Jupiter, and it can be hard to pick out the they appear
lesser ones, too. Although the atmosphere appears more subtle

Belts Zones
SPR KEY 15 September 2018
SSSTB (S3TB) SSSTZ (S3TZ)
SSTZ (S2TZ) S: South
SSTB (S2TB) N: North
STZ
STB T: Temperate
STrZ Tr: Tropical
SEB
E: Equatorial
EB } EZ B: Belt
NEB Z: Zone
NTrZ PR: Polar Region
NTB
NNTB (N2TB) NTZ
NNNTB (N3TB) NNTZ (N2TZ)
NNNTZ (N3TZ) S 2Q0DUFK6DWXUQZLOODSSHDUHGJHRQIURP(DUWK
NPR
VDGO\WRRFORVHWRWKH6XQWRVHH DORQJZD\IURPZKHQ
LWŝVZLGHRSHQDVLWZDVLQ WLOWDQJOHǨ

104 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Challenge yourself: Capture the Ringed Planet

Throughout the year, Saturn appears to wobble similar type of interactions, but being that much
slightly. On 1 January its north pole is tilted smaller than Titan required larger set-ups or
WRZDUGVXVE\ǨVWHDGLO\GHFUHDVLQJWR high-resolution planetary imaging set-
ǨRQ0DUFKZKHQ(DUWKSDVVHV ups to capture. Be aware that stable
through the plane of Saturn’s rings. atmospheric conditions are a must
The tilt angle then continues to here too, turbulent seeing being very
increase negatively as it's Saturn’s good at blurring out the
southern pole now tilted towards tiny shadows.
(DUWK2Q-XO\6DWXUQŝVDSSDUHQW There are various ways to plan
WLOWPD[HVRXWDWǨEHIRUH such observations. One of the best
appearing to decrease again to is to use the WinJupos application;
UHDFKDPLQLPXPRIǨRQ a free software equivalent of a Swiss
1RYHPEHUUHDFKLQJǨE\WKHHQGRI Army Knife for planetary observers
the year. (https://jupos.org/gh/download.htm 
Many of Saturn’s major moons orbit If you have a clear night or nights ahead,
the planet near to its equatorial plane. This the quickest way to check to see whether
\HDULIZHFRXOGVHHWKHPIURP(DUWKWKHLURUELWV anything is happening is to run the application,
would also look like very narrow ellipses. As a result, S Turbulent under [Program ¼ Celestial body] select Saturn, then
the major moons and their shadows will be able to times in Saturn’s go to [Tools ¼(SKHPHULGHVť@&OLFN>5HDOWLPH@VHOHFW
interact with Saturn during 2025. This gives rise to a northern the [Graphics] tab and cycle forward in time to see if
hemisphere
ƆXUU\RIIDLUO\XQLTXHHYHQWVVLPLODUWRZKDWFDQEH emphasised in a there’s anything happening that evening.
VHHQPRUHUHJXODUO\RQ-XSLWHU(YHQWXDOO\ZKHQWKHWLOW greyscale image Timings for Titan events aren’t ideal at the start
angle recovers to a reasonable value once again, the taken through of 2025 with many occurring in daylight. However,
a red-imaging
LQWHUDFWLRQVZLOOODUJHO\VWRSDQG\RXŝOOKDYHWRZDLW the forementioned apparent tilt wobble means we
ƅOWHU ZLWKVRXWK
or so years to see them start up again. SRLQWLQJXS get a second chance towards the end of the year.
The most obvious apparent interaction involves Titan transits then come back on the menu until
Saturn’s largest moon Titan. These include Titan and February 2026 when they end for this Saturnian
its shadow transiting Saturn, Titan occulted by Saturn, HTXLQR[EHIRUHUHVWDUWLQJDJDLQLQDURXQG\HDUV
and Titan being eclipsed by Saturn’s shadow. There Many of these late year events are well timed, giving
are enough events listed in the Sky Guide (starting on you a good opportunity to observe and record these
SDJH WRKRSHIXOO\RYHUFRPHDQ\ZHDWKHULVVXHV rare interactions.
Less obvious are similar interactions by other major
but less sizeable moons. Typically, the main contenders How did you do?
here are Tethys, Dione and Rhea. These all show How many Saturn moon interactions have you seen?

20 September
From 05:34 BST (04:34 UT)
until Saturn sets at around
07:02 BST (06:02 UT)

Titan’s Titan
shadow
S

S Just one of many interesting events involving Saturn that's visible

WKURXJKRXW\RXFDQƅQGPRUHPHQWLRQHGLQWKH6N\*XLGH S Feature-rich WinJupos is a superb freeware application for giving
VHFWLRQVWDUWLQJRQSDJH concise information about the planets and their moons

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 105

 Skills for stargazers
Star-hopping
Steve Tonkin explains an easy technique to navigate your way around the night sky

1º 5º 10º 15º 25º

S :LWK\RXUDUPRXWVWUHWFKHGXVH\RXUKDQGWRJDXJHGLVWDQFHVEHWZHHQREMHFWVLQWKHVN\
f you’re a newcomer to the EULJKWHVWVWDUVDQGXVHWKHVHDVMXPSLQJ XVHWKHGLVWDQFHFRYHUHGE\\RXUƅVWRU
wonderful hobby of astronomy, RIISRLQWVWRORFDWHRXUGHVLUHGWDUJHW KDQGVSDQWRPHDVXUHRXWWKHGLVWDQFH
\RXUƅUVWWLPHXQGHUDFOHDUVN\ REMHFWVDQGZHHVWLPDWHGLUHFWLRQVLQ PRVWRIXVDUHPRUHRUOHVVVLPLODUO\
FDQEHRYHUZKHOPLQJ UHODWLRQWRRWKHUVWDUVŚIRUH[DPSOH SURSRUWLRQHGIRUWKLVSXUSRVH /HWŝVORRN
)RUWXQDWHO\WKHUHŝVDWULHGDQG şWRZDUGVWKDWEULJKW\HOORZLVKVWDUŠ DWIRXUVWDUKRSVWRKHOSWHVW\RXUVNLOOV
WHVWHGPHWKRGWRWXUQWKHEHZLOGHULQJ (VWLPDWLQJGLVWDQFHVZRUNVLQPXFK
QXPEHURIVWDUVLQWRDIDPLOLDUUHFUHDWLRQ WKHVDPHZD\ŚIRUH[DPSOHşDWKLUGRI Stephen Tonkin is an
JURXQGZKLFKZRUNVLQEULJKWDQGGDUN WKHZD\IURPWKHORZHUVWDUWRWKHXSSHU experienced binocular
VNLHVDOLNH,WŝVFDOOHGVWDUKRSSLQJ RQHŠRUDSURSRUWLRQRIWKHƅHOGRIYLHZRI astronomer, who
writes our monthly
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Binocular Tour
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Star-hop your way to the Pole Star

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106 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Skills for stargazers: Star-hopping

Hop to the asterism Hop to the Andromeda

Kemble’s Cascade Galaxy, M31
)LQGLQJ.HPEOHŝV&DVFDGHLQ&DPHORSDUGDOLVZLWKELQRFXODUV 7KHHDVLHVWZD\WRƅQGWKH$QGURPHGD*DOD[\0LVDWZR
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&DSKDQG6HJLQDWHLWKHUHQGRIWKHŜ:ŝVKDSHRI&DVVLRSHLD WKHFRQVWHOODWLRQRI$QGURPHGDIURPZKLFKZHGRDVHFRQG
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VWDUVZLWKDEULJKWPDJRQHLQWKHPLGGOH2QDXWXPQ VLGH1RZSXW0XZKHUH0LUDFKZDVDQG\RXŝOOVHHDIX]]\SDWFK
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Caph
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…and to the globular cluster M56

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Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 107

 Skills for stargazers
Master the art of averted vision
Martin Mobberley explains how to see fainter objects than you ever imagined possible

f you’re new to stargazing, a faint object like S With averted KDVWZRW\SHVRIGHWHFWRUFHOOVZLWKLQWKHUHWLQD

C/2022 E3 ZTF, the comet that had us all vision you’ll see FDOOHGURGVDQGFRQHV5RGVDUHORZOLJKWGHWHFWRUV
&(',&&+5,6723+.$/76(,6&&'*8,'(&20%(51+$5'*277+$5'7&&'*8,'(&20%(51+$5'

excited earlier this year, isn’t the best target faint targets like whereas cones allow full-colour, high-resolution
the Orion Nebula
IRUDƅUVWORRNWKURXJKDWHOHVFRSHŚWKH eyesight. The central one degree of the retina, the
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chances are you won’t see a thing. The eye is $QGURPHGD*DOD[\ IRYHDLVSDFNHGZLWKFRQHVZKLFK\RXDUHXVLQJWR
a remarkable detector, but to see faint objects like WRSULJKW EHWWHU read this sentence. Your brain creates the illusion that
WKLVLWKHOSVWRXQGHUVWDQGERWKLWVOLPLWDWLRQVDQG For the Blinking WKHZKROHPDJD]LQHSDJHLVVKDUSEXWLQIDFW\RXDUH
Planetary Nebula,
+8%/&&'*8,'(&2062/$5,672&.*(77<,0$*(667(9(0$56+

the tricks you can use to coax the maximum out of 1*& DERYH only seeing a few letters at a time at high resolution
LWVVKRUWH[SRVXUHFDSDELOLW\ XQOLNHD'6/5FDPHUD ULJKW ORRNLQJ DQGLQIXOOFRORXU\RXUH\HPXVFOHVDUHVZLIWO\]LSSLQJ
ORQJH[SRVXUHVDUHQŝWDQRSWLRQZLWKWKHH\H  directly at it, you will everywhere and creating the illusion.
only see its central
2IFRXUVHWKHUHDUHRWKHUOLPLWLQJIDFWRUV/LJKW star, but if you use
SROOXWLRQLPSDWLHQFHDSRRUQLJKWIRUVHHLQJDQGQRW averted vision and Find your sensitive side
VSHQGLQJORQJHQRXJKGDUNDGDSWLQJ\RXUH\HVFDQDOO look to one side, you The electrochemical signals from the retina’s
will see the nebula
SOD\DSDUWDVFDQXVLQJWKHZURQJPDJQLƅFDWLRQDQG detectors travel via neurons, known as ganglion cells,
QRWNHHSLQJ\RXUWHOHVFRSHŝVRSWLFVFOHDQDQGZHOO on their way to the brain. In the high-resolution,
collimated. But by mastering ‘averted vision’, you can full-colour retina centre, one ganglion cell connects
train your eyes to get the most out of your observing to one cone. But as you go further out and low-light
nights and use your retina to greatest effect. rods dominate, there may be 100 rod detectors
The retina is the thin layer of cells that line the SDVVLQJWKHLUHOHFWURFKHPLFDOVLJQDOLQWRMXVWRQH
back of the eyeball, where light entering from the JDQJOLRQFHOOLWLVDFDVHRISDUDOOHOLQJXSWRLPSURYH
SXSLOLVFRQYHUWHGLQWRVLJQDOVIRUWKHEUDLQ7KHH\H the signal-to-noise ratio.

108 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Skills for stargazers: Averted vision
Retina

W $WWKHEDFNRIWKHH\HOLHVWKHUHWLQDOLQHGZLWK
Fovea Blind PLOOLRQVRIOLJKWVHQVLQJFHOOVURGVDQGFRQHV VKRZQ
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on the other side, away from the nose. Physically, it
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Rods
but we are looking at how it feels here and not how it
actually is.

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With so many detectors bundled together, 2IFRXUVHZKHQ\RXƅUVWJRRXWVLGHDQGORRNWKURXJK
resolution suffers badly. While the foveal cones can WKHH\HSLHFH\RXSUREDEO\ZRQŝWVHHDQ\WKLQJ7KLVLV
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bundled rod system, well away from the centre, might KXPDQH\HLVSOXQJHGLQWRGDUNQHVVWZRWKLQJV
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the size of the Moon seen with the naked eye. maximum diameter. The second thing is that the
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H\HLVDERXWIRXUDVWURQRPLFDOPDJQLWXGHV WLPHV  vision amounts to over 100,000 times more sensitivity
more sensitive than at its centre. than your central vision had in a fully-illuminated
To get to this sensitive area, you have to look to URRPEHIRUH\RXVWHSSHGRXWGRRUV
one side of the faint astronomical object you’re trying 'DUNDGDSWDWLRQŚWKDWLVZDLWLQJIRUWKHUKRGRSVLQ
WRVHHSODFHWKHREMHFW\RXŝUHORRNLQJDWURXJKO\° to WRGRLWVMREŚFDQQRWEHUXVKHG<RXQHHGWRZDLW
16° away from the eye’s centre; 12° is a good average Martin Mobberley PLQXWHVRUPRUHWRIHHOWKHIXOOHIIHFW6RLI\RX
YDOXHIRUWKHEHVWSDUW$WƅUVWWKLVZLOOVHHP is an author and DUHSODQQLQJWRREVHUYHDQXPEHURIIDLQWREMHFWV
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This 12° offset should be arranged so that you VHUYHGDV%$$ the Blinking Planetary Nebula, save the faintest ones
DSSHDUWRSODFHWKHREMHFWQHDUHUWR\RXUQRVH7KH president in 1997–99 XQWLOWKHYHU\ODVWŚ\RXZRQŝWEHGLVDSSRLQWHG

Other ways to see faint targets

As well as averted vision, try these steps to
help you observe dim targets in the night sky
Telescope
Check your telescope is in good working order, with clean
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DFFXUDWHO\FROOLPDWHG
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Use the environment
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to shield you from
Dark site streetlights if you’re
Darker skies are better, of course, but if yours aren’t you can observing from an
block out streetlights by carefully positioning your scope or urban location
using fence panels as shields.

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 109

 Skills for stargazers
Predict an aurora display
Mary McIntyre’s top tips for taking the guesswork out of catching the amazing natural spectacle

eeing the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) S Mary’s allow faster moving solar wind to stream out from the
or aurora australis (Southern Lights) is at photographs of Sun, which can lead to mid-latitude aurorae. As we are
the top of many people’s bucket lists, but the aurora taken currently close to the maximum period of activity in
in Oxfordshire in
you don’t need to travel to the polar regions June 2015 (left) the Sun’s solar cycle, there have been a lot of mid-
to see or photograph a display. Armed with and February latitude aurora displays already this year.
forecasting data, you can be ready and waiting when 2023 (right) Space weather is now monitored constantly and
the conditions are right. scientists are getting better at forecasting aurorae.
On 1 September 1859, Richard Carrington and
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geomagnetic storm ever recorded, the Carrington
Aurora alert sites
Event, began. Aurorae were seen all around the world, X sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data The Solar Dynamics Observatory
HYHQLQHTXDWRULDOORFDWLRQV,WZDVWKHƅUVWGHƅQLWLYH website lets you study photos of the Sun and monitor solar
proof that aurorae are directly linked to solar activity. activity
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wind, interact with molecules in our atmosphere, they as well as geomagnetic storm predictions and alerts
X ZZZ\RXWXEHFRP#7DPLWKD6NRY Dr Tamitha Skov,
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aka Space Weather Woman, provides weekly space weather
down towards the polar regions, which is why aurorae
forecasts and one-off videos when large storms are forecast
ALL PICTURES: MARY MCINTYRE

are usually seen within the Arctic and Antarctic

X VSDFHZHDWKHUFRP is a fantastic resource for checking auroral
&LUFOHV6RODUƆDUHVDQGWKHLUDVVRFLDWHGFRURQDOPDVV activity levels and 48-hour geomagnetic storm predictions
ejections (CMEs) can send much higher energy solar X DXURUDDOHUWVXN This is where to download Glendale, which
wind towards Earth, causing geomagnetic storms. claims to be the most accurate aurora forecasting and alerting
It’s not only CMEs that cause them. Disruptions in app in the world
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110 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

 Skills for stargazers: Predict an aurora display

We have satellites imaging the Sun in different total value (Bt) is measured in nanoteslas, but also
ZDYHOHQJWKVDQGUHFRUGLQJVRODUƆDUHVDQG&0(V crucial is its polarity (Bz). If the Bz is negative (the
Real-time magnetic data and geomagnetic storm greater the negative value the better), it shows more
predictions are published on websites, social media charged particles are pouring into our magnetosphere,
and apps. All this information will help you to predict causing a stronger aurora in the coming hours.
if there’s a chance of aurorae where you are. However, To see the aurora, you need a clear view of the
the only thing you can accurately predict about northern horizon (or southern horizon if you’re in the
aurora displays is their unpredictability! Southern Hemisphere) and to allow your eyes to dark-
Some websites rate the activity level using the Kp Mary McIntyre is adapt. Aurora displays are not as colourful as they are
an outreach
Index, with a scale of 1 to 9. The higher the number, the in photos, so be realistic about what you’ll see. If you
astronomer and
further south (or north) aurora can be seen. Others teacher of are at a mid-latitude location, bursts of active aurorae
SXEOLVKWKHLQWHUSODQHWDU\PDJQHWLFƅHOGGDWD7KH astrophotography may be short-lived, so be ready to act fast!

6 ways to predict the aurora

1 Visit the Solar Dynamics Observatory 2 Check the Flare Aware website to see 3 Subscribe to Tamitha Skov’s YouTube
website and look at the daily 211 KRZPDQ\VRODUƆDUHVKDYHWDNHQSODFH channel and watch her space weather
angstroms photo. Any dark regions are recently and if there are any Earth-directed forecast videos. She analyses the NOAA
coronal holes. If these dark areas are in the CMEs associated with them. Even CMEs and NASA prediction models following
Sun’s equatorial region, faster solar wind that aren’t directly heading for Earth can VLJQLƅFDQW&0(VDQGJLYHVJHRPDJQHWLF
will be Earth-directed and may result in give us a grazing blow and bump up auroral storm probabilities for high-latitude and
geomagnetic storms a couple of days later. activity. mid-latitude regions.

4 Spaceweather.com summarises recent 5 Input your location into the Glendale 6 There are many aurora webcams
VRODUƆDUHVFRURQDOKROHVFXUUHQWVRODU Aurora Alerts App and it will provide around the world, including in Norway,
wind speed, Kp (geomagnetic activity), Bt JHRPDJQHWLFPHDVXUHPHQWVVSHFLƅFWR Canada, Finland and the Shetlands in the
LQWHUSODQHWDU\PDJQHWLFƅHOG DQG%] your area rather than the global readings. UK. Studying the view from live cameras in
(polarity) levels, current position of the It gives live, real-time alerts, and other app your country allows you to monitor how
auroral oval and probability of users add green ticks on a map if they have active an aurora display is in real time and
geomagnetic storms from high and mid aurorae, so you can see at a glance if you’re can help you predict whether the aurora
latitudes in the next 48 hours. in with a chance yourself. will reach your location.

Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025 111

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 A closing thought...
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Jonathan Powell
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114 Astronomer’s Yearbook 2025

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