Author Archives: Derek

Skygazers across the UK are in for a treat this week as the Moon rises and it’s not one to miss.O oooo

A huge orange rises in Milton Keynes. oooo

Moon illusion which makes the moon appear larger than it actually is. The Buck Moon – this name comes from Native American traditions. July is when male deer (bucks) begin to grow new antlers, symbolizing growth and regeneration – see … Continue reading →

Venus will be the “Morning Star” in the east. At 5am, Venus reaches at 90º azimuth and Altitude +23º in the eastern sky but it will be visible before sunrise, rising shortly before 3 a.m. local time and remaining visible … Continue reading →

Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation – that’s meaning it will be most visible in the evening sky, so at these times ~ Mercury will be at its farthest apparent distance from the Sun as viewed from Earth.

Earth at aphelion Earth reaches aphelion ~ its farthest point from the Sun in its yearly orbit. At that moment, Earth will be about 94.5 million miles (or 152.1 million kilometres) from the Sun.oDespite being farther away, it’s still summer … Continue reading →

Lunar X is optional features on the moon, visible through a telescope for several hours around the time of the first quarter moon (See my pervious photos of Lunar X). The next one for Lunar X again will be on … Continue reading →

The landscape was illuminated by the noctilucent clouds over the city at Milton Keynes that remained low in the sky between northwest and northeast. At midnight, Noctilucent clouds are thin, wispy clouds that glow with a silvery hue at night when illuminated … Continue reading →

On Thursday 26th The Moon and Mercury will share the same right ascension – the pair will be too widely separated to fit within the field of view of a telescope, but will be visible to the naked eye or … Continue reading →

You’ll likely see the Moon and Pleiades very close together in the early morning sky, low on the north-eastern horizon, but not a full occultation – still, it’s a beautiful sight – binoculars will better the view unexpectedly. How to … Continue reading →