The sky guide challenge

Our astronomical adventure in the hills of mid-Wales starts on an unlucky note. The autumnal sunshine of earlier has been swept away by a persistent drizzle rolling across the valleys and hilltops of

When to use this chart 1 Feb 00:00 AEDT (31 Jan, 13:00 UT) 15 Feb 23:00 AEDT (12:00 UT) 28 Feb 22:00 AEDT (11:00 UT) The chart accurately matches the sky on the dates and times shown for Sydney, Austr

Meteors are remnants from the creation of our Solar System that burn up when they hit Earth’s atmosphere. As they vaporise, typically 80km to 120km (50–75 miles) above the ground, they leave a trail o

HUMANITY HAS CHANGED AN AWFUL LOT IN THE PAST 58 YEARS. THE MOON? NOT SO MUCH. It was in 1968 that astronauts first drew near the moon, and it will be early this year, if all goes as planned, that a c

From her Yorkshire smallholding, Sally Coulthard marvels at the superpowers of crepuscular creatures that emerge in the magical half-light of dawn and dusk

Ayoush Lazikani The Medieval Moon A history of haunting and blessing 272pp. Yale University Press. £20 (US $30). Something fundamental changed in our relationship with the moon when we realized we cou