Stargazing | The Schools' Observatory

Constellations

Have you ever looked for pictures in the stars at night? Like the sky is a giant dot-to-dot puzzle?

We call groups of stars which form a picture in our imagination, a constellation.

Star map highlighting the Orion constellation and its neighboring constellations, such as Gemini, Taurus, and Canis Major. Major stars like Betelgeuse and Rigel are labeled, along with other notable objects like the Orion Nebula (M42) — The Constellation of Orion

Atmospheric Problems

The Earth's atmosphere is vital for life. But did you know it can cause problems for astronomers.

Liverpool Telescope with the Milky Way galaxy arm — Liverpool Telescope with the milky Way

Stargazing Glossary

Welcome to our stargazing glossary!

Here, you'll find key terms that will help you better understand the wonders of the night sky.

The image shows a person looking through a telescope silhouetted against a starry night sky, with a clear view of the Milky Way. On the right side, there is an icon of a book labeled "A-Z," indicating a glossary

Stargazing in the UK and Ireland

It is amazing how much you see in the night sky when it is really dark.

You can observe thousands of stars, far off

This image shows a clear night sky with a vast number of stars visible, including a distinct view of the Milky Way stretching across the horizon. The foreground features an open field and some hilly terrain — Milky Way over South Downs near Eastbourne

Sky Maps

Take a look at our sky maps, which are refreshed daily, to help you understand what you can see in the sky each night.

The main part of each image shows the objects' positions visible in the sky at that time. This includes stars, the Moon, and planets.

A dome sky map with the sun setting and the compass points indicated

Finder-charts

A finder chart is a map of a small region of the sky. Astronomers use these charts to find particular stars within an image.

The charts are also useful for communicating which object on a map is being referred to.

A black-and-white star chart with numbered labels identifying 67 stars, used to locate the NGC 957 star cluster — Finder chart for the open cluster NGC957.

Plan an observation

Stargazing is something that we can all do. You just need to look up at the night sky. But with a little planning, you can make the experience even better.

Night sky view showing a clear starry sky with a prominent bright planet near the horizon, trees silhouetted in the foreground, and a faint glow from distant city lights — Dark Skies!

Early Life

Mario was born in Chile. Although his dad was a politician Mario found a love for science. He got degrees in physics and astronomy from the University of Chile.

Year born: 1960

Research Areas: Observational Astronomy, Supernovae, Cosmic Distances

Read more about Mario Hamuy

Early Life

Susan grew up in Kenya. She studied economics and sociology at University. She also has a Master’s degree in Astronomy.

Susan thinks every child should have the chance to look through a telescope. There are very few astronomers in Kenya. There was also no access to a planetarium when Susan grew up. This made it tough for children to have a go at using a telescope. Many would not know they could do astronomy as a hobby or choose it as a job.

Research Area: Education, Science Communication, Planetariums, and Astronomy

"Astronomy is a huge part of our everyday life and a reminder of how unique and intelligent we are"

Read more about Susan Murabana Owen

Early Life

Early Life

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