Run a messier marathon

1 NGC 697 Not to be unkind, but Aries isn’t generally regarded as a rich haven for amateur deep-sky jewels. However, we’re going to look hard and visit a light smattering of objects near the Aries–Pis

Star and deep-sky catalogues are crucial resources for making sense of the night sky. There are a lot of them, though – so many, in fact, that you almost need a catalogue of catalogues to keep track o

The Messier Catalogue is one of the most well-known collections of astronomical objects. Compiled in the 18th century by French astronomer and avid comet hunter Charles Messier as a quick reference of

1. Psi Aquarii group 10x 50 This colourful grouping of stars spans nearly 5° of sky, from mag. +5.0 Psi3 (ψ3) Aquarii to mag. +5.6 96 Aquarii. The colours range from blue-white mag. +5.5 Psi2 (ψ2) Aqu

The faint, rather indistinct constellation Camelopardalis is supposed to represent a giraffe. It sits between Polaris (Alpha (α) Ursae Minoris) and Capella (Alpha (α) Aurigae). Our first target is loc

Our Solar System is home to hundreds of moons, but how many can you observe? Some – like our own and the brighter ones around Jupiter and Saturn – are relatively easy to see with the naked eye, binocu