Astronomy

Space and astronomy highlights in 2025

What's worth looking up for in 2025? Discover this year's must-see moments with Royal Observatory astronomers
People in astronomy

Women at Royal Observatory Greenwich

Discover the women who worked in and around the Royal Observatory, facing barriers and prejudice due to their gender
Astrophotography

A stellar duo: two young astrophotographers shooting for the stars

Meet the youngest entrants in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024: brothers Benjamin and Joshua Lawler

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Astronomy guides

Find out what you can see in the night sky with astronomers from Royal Observatory Greenwich

Image of a round galaxy from the side, so that it resembles a very flat disc of gas and dust, in light browns and darker browns. At the centre is a bright yellow orb. It slightly resembles a sombrero which is why it is called the Sombrero Galaxy. Behind in the sky are many stars, with some standing out with points of light spiking off of them.

Night Sky Highlights - May 2025

Discover what to see in the night sky this May, from a galaxy that looks like a hat, to spinning space eggs and more
Image of blue and purple Hydra's Pinwheel galaxy

Night Sky Highlights - April 2025

Discover what to see in the night sky this April, from the Lyrid meteor shower to bright inner planets, and more.
The Moon during an eclipse, lit up a deep orange colour with the white light of the Sun just visible on the bottom right hand side

Night Sky Highlights - March 2025

Find out how to make the most of two eclipses this month, spot the dazzling Pleiades star cluster, and more.

Full Moon calendar 2025

Check the dates for every full Moon throughout the year, learn about the Moon's phases, 'supermoons' and more

Night Sky Highlights - February 2025

Discover what to see in February's night sky including a planetary parade, shining Saturn and Venus, and a host of deep sky objects in Orion

Night Sky Highlights - January 2025

Start the year by catching the Red Planet at its brightest, take in the distant Elephant's Trunk Nebula, and view the Quadrantid meteor shower
Image of meteor shower with around 30 meteors in the sky over a large observatory telescope

Night Sky Highlights - December 2024

Find out what to see in the night sky this December, including not one, but two meteor showers!
Square image showing an irregular Galaxy, which resembles clouds of gas and dust in dark browns, with lighter brown clouds around the image and in points there are small bright blue circles dotted around the rest of the cloud. In the left middle of the image there is a bigger bright blue patch of gases.

Night sky highlights - November 2024

Find out what to see in the November night sky, including the Orion Nebula, open star clusters and more.
Image of Saturn, a round yellow-brown planet with thin rings around it. It is tilted at a slight angle.

Night Sky Highlights - October 2024

Find out how to make the most of the October night sky by spotting the captivating Pinwheel Galaxy, the Orionid meteor shower, and more...
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Space science

Find space facts, learn about groundbreaking research and discover what the future holds for space exploration

Photograph of a spherical planet which is mainly cream white with a mottled and textured surface, but with a large patch of brown in the bottom left corner/

The dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Makemake and Eris

We’ve all heard of the planets, but what is a dwarf planet? And why isn’t Pluto a planet anymore?
Artist concept of a Martian base, with humans dressed in spacesuits visible in the foreground

How could humans live on Mars?

Astronomer and author Brendan Owens examines the challenges of sending humans to Mars - and what the future holds for our study of the Red Planet
Red dual opposing jets coming from young stars fill the darker top half of the image, while a glowing pale-yellow, cave-like structure is bottom center, with a bright star at its centre.

Astronomy News from the Astronomy Ambassadors Group - June 2024

See what cosmic news our young people have found for you!
Photograph of a sunrise taken from the International Space Station

How will the Universe end?

Life on Earth, our Sun and Solar System, the Milky Way – all good things must come to an end. But what about the fate of the Universe itself?
Thousands of small galaxies appear across this view. Their colors vary. Some are shades of orange, while others are white. Most appear as fuzzy ovals, but a few have distinct spiral arms. In front of the galaxies are several foreground stars. Most appear blue, and the bright stars have diffraction spikes, forming an eight-pointed star shape. There are also many thin, long, orange arcs that curve around the center of the image

Astronomy news from the Astronomy Ambassadors Group - October 2023

See what cosmic news our young people have found for you!

15 awe-inspiring astronomy discoveries

Discover 15 incredible astronomy facts that might just change how you see the Universe
Blue hued stars in the Pleiades Cluster

What are the Pleiades?

Take a closer look at the Pleiades, an extremely hot cluster of young stars. Also known as the 'Seven Sisters' or M45, this stellar family has been the subject of numerous myths in cultures worldwide
Image showing blue and black sky with slightly transparent golden and brown dust clouds, through which many stars are visible

The James Webb Space Telescope’s first year of images

Royal Observatory astronomer Julienne Hisole looks back on what we’ve learnt from the pioneering space telescope’s first 12 months of observing
Image of Jupiter taken by the JWST

Astronomy news from the Astronomy Ambassadors Group - May 2023

See what cosmic news our young people have found for you!
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History of astronomy

The discoveries and instruments that changed our understanding of the universe

General map of telegraph lines between Europe, India, Australia and China by Oriental telegraph company

Charles Todd and Australia's Overland Telegraph Line

In this blog we explore the remarkable life of Charles Todd, a Greenwich astronomer who championed Australia's Overland Telegraph Line
Historic photograph showing an astronomer peering into the eyepiece of the Great Equatorial Telescope at the Royal Observatory. Another astronomer is taking notes to the left

History of the Great Equatorial Telescope

The Great Equatorial Telescope at the Royal Observatory kept Britain at the forefront of astrophysics and greatly expanded our knowledge of stars

The Heavens and their Story

In this blog we look at a practical astronomical work written by the husband and wife team of Walter and Annie Maunder. The Maunders worked in the Solar Department of the Royal Observatory Greenwich in the early 1890s.
Image of blue round planet which is Uranus, with a blue ring around it

The Discovery of Uranus

Learn more about how William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781, the first new planet that had been discovered since antiquity

Weathervanes at the Royal Observatory Greenwich

Discover the history and stories behind the Royal Observatory's weathervanes

What was the Christmas Star?

From comets to supernova explosions, discover some of the theories about the Star of Bethlehem

Mathematics, navigation and empire: reassessing John Dee’s legacy

John Dee (1527-1609) was a philosopher and scholar whose work during the Tudor period has been overshadowed by his alleged sorcerous and occultist activities. He is best known for having conversations with angels through his scryer Edward Kelley's interests in astrology, alchemy, calendar reform and suggesting the date for Queen Elizabeth's coronation. What John Dee may not be as well known for is his influence on English navigation and being the first person to coin the term 'British Empire'.

Mapping the Moon: the story of the Wilkins Moon map

Find out more about one of the most detailed maps of the Moon ever created.

1919 solar eclipse

Learn more about the 1919 solar eclipse. A solar eclipse is a spectacular event in of itself, but this event was particularly important both for scientists of the time and of the present.
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Watch

How do we see and hear the Universe? It's a simple question with a complicated answer. Watch how astrophotographer John White created this arresting photo of water droplets vibrating to the 'sound' of a black hole.

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People in astronomy

Meet amazing individuals involved in astronomy, from groundbreaking figures from history to people pushing the boundaries of science today

Image of Cassiopeia A nebula, which resembles an explosion in waves of different colours

Accidental astronomy: an interview with Chris Lintott

Professor Chris Lintott, author, astrophysicist and presenter of the BBC's 'Sky at Night’ programme, discusses the incredible astronomical discoveries made by accident or through unplanned detours
17th century painting of the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Park

Women at Royal Observatory Greenwich

Discover the women who worked in and around the Royal Observatory, facing barriers and prejudice due to their gender
John Herschel

Remembering Sir John F.W. Herschel (1792–1871)

Learn about the life of the pioneering mathematician, astronomer and polymath – and his links with the Royal Observatory

7 female scientists you might not have heard of

Einstein, Newton and Galileo are names we have heard numerous times. But who are the women who have changed the world of science, and why don’t we know their names too?

How many people have walked on the Moon?

The first crewed lunar landing in 1969 was a historic triumph for the USA and humankind. Including the Apollo 11 mission, 12 men have walked on the Moon. But who were they?

Michael Collins's Space Photo

Michael Collins is the third astronaut on the Apollo 11 mission. He remained in the Command Module as Edwin Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon surface in 1969

The library of George Airy

Within the Caird Library's collection of rare books is the personal library of the seventh Astronomer Royal, Sir George Biddell Airy. It features a plethora of scientific and astronomical research, as well as some of the Library's most historically significant works such as Copernicus's influential 'De revolutionibus orbium coelestium' and Flamsteed's controversial 'Historiae coelestis', which was published without his consent
Old photograph of youngish woman in Victorian times

Annie Maunder: solar astronomer and astrophotographer

Find out more about Annie Maunder, a pioneering astronomer, astrophotographer and science communicator

Caroline Herschel: the first paid female astronomer

Caroline discovered eight comets, revised Flamsteed's Star Catalogue, and became the first paid female astronomer in history
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Astrophotography

Learn how to take incredible images of the night sky with expert advice from astronomers and award-winning photographers

Landscape photo of three people on a golden green Austrian mountain standing around a large telescope which has a big metal frame and is around 5.5 feet tall

Finding community through astrophotography

Sophie Paulin and Tom Williams struck up a friendship in an online astrophotography forum. Discover how they combined their expertise to win a prize in Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Colour mapped image of Earth

Anatomy of a habitable planet: Earth as you've never seen it before

Sergio Díaz Ruiz uses satellite imagery to explore climate change by creating an image of Earth as it might be analysed by a distant alien civilisation
Photo of two young brothers looking up into the lenses of a large telescope, the one on the right has his arm around the other

A stellar duo: two young astrophotographers shooting for the stars

Meet the youngest entrants in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024: brothers Benjamin and Joshua Lawler
A sequence of telescope images stacked together to show the progression of a solar eclipse. A black semi-circle is visible on the left, with bands of yellow marking the changing amount of light as the Moon passes in front of the Sun

Beads of sunlight: photographing an annular solar eclipse

Ryan Imperio's spellbinding image of our Sun earned him the top prize in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024
Image of dry mud terrain where the sea is out, with a curved path through the landscape with water in and big cracks in the mud. Rotted wooden sea defenses come out from the land. Behind in the blue sky are star trails forming concentric curved lines

'Out with the camera, my senses are heightened' – behind the lens with Paul Haworth

Discover the vibrant nocturnal world of East Anglian astrophotographer Paul Haworth, shortlisted in 2024's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition
Solar Flare X1 from AR2994 in 'Motion' by Miguel Claro

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15: In conversation with entrants and winners

Listen to interviews with shortlisted and winning entrants from the 2023 competition
Image of blue circle of water forming a unique pattern of droplets against a black background

Seeing the sound of a black hole: the story of Black Echo

How do you picture something that is invisible and inaudible to humans? Artist and photographer John White has the answer
A woman takes a photograph using a DSLR and a tripod. She is standing in a forest in front of grey rocks, wearing an orange-red coat, her camera facing the viewer

Behind the lens with Monika Deviat

Dancer, educator, heavy metal fan and astrophotographer, discover more about the Aurorae winner of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023
Image of turquoise curved arc or cloud next to the Andromeda Galaxy

Andromeda, Unexpected - how three amateur astronomers and astrophotographers changed our view of the Universe

Learn about the brand-new discovery that earned Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty the title of Astronomy Photographer of the Year – and a place in the science books 
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Explore the universe in Greenwich

Visit the Royal Observatory, meet our astronomers at the Peter Harrison Planetarium, and take your knowledge to the next level with our range of books and courses

Royal Observatory
Visit the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the Prime Meridian of the world and London’s only Planetarium
What's on at the Peter Harrison Planetarium
Out-of-this-world planetarium shows and live astronomy experiences for the whole family - visit London's only Planetarium at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Astronomy courses at the Royal Observatory
Discover our range of astronomy courses suitable for a range of individuals and experience
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Stargazing: Beginners Guide To Astronomy
£9.99
By Radmila Topalovic and Tom Kerss, Astronomers at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Stargazing is a useful manual to help astronomy beginners navigate the world of telescopes, planets and celestial maps...
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Royal Observatory Greenwich Celestron Travel Scope 70 Telescope
£99.99
The Travel Scope 70 is a refractor telescope perfect for terrestrial and celestial viewing on the go. The Travel Scope can view the planets, moon, star clusters and brighter deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy at night and with the erect image star diagonal it makes the optical tube ideal for using as a spotting scope during the day...
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Royal Observatory Greenwich Illuminates: The Universe
£9.99
Given that it includes literally everything in existence, it’s not surprising that the Universe is the source of some of the greatest mysteries in physics...
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Help make science accessible to all

The Royal Observatory is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a charity that relies on your support to maintain our telescopes, preserve our historic buildings and run our fantastic astronomy programmes. Donate today and support our astronomers' important work.
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