Amateur Observing

The night sky can be a truly fascinating place - if you know where and when to look. These links point to pages containing practical and explanatory information about the sky at night, plus a selection of interesting phenomena: eclipses, aurorae, comets and meteors.

General Observing


Russell Eberst leads public observing sessions every Friday night in winter at the Royal Observatory's Visitor Centre (weather permitting).
Sky and Telescope 'Tips' Don't know where to start? There's plenty of practical help on this page from Sky and Telescope magazine.

'What's Up' in the Night Sky

The Constellations and their Stars has information about each of the 88 constellations. Find out their position in the sky, and what stars and objects of interest can be found within them.
Horst's Daily Astro Guide A very informative page, showing current positions and visibilities of the planets, forthcoming solar and lunar eclipses, conjunctions of the planets, and the positions of the stars tonight.
Sky and Telescope "Sights" What stars, planets, comets, satellites, asteroids etc. are currently visible in the night sky, from Sky and Telescope magazine.
The Seds Messier Database: keen 18th century comet-hunter Charles Messier listed galaxies and star clusters which were easily confused with comets. On these pages you will find images of some of the most beautiful objects in the sky, with charts and descriptions to enable you to observe them for yourself.
Our Solar System and Space Exploration page will point you to pages with detailed information about the individual members of the solar system.

Eclipses

Fred Espenak's Eclipse Home Page is arguably the best eclipse site on the planet. Predictions, maps, photos, data, and great explanations of eclipse phenomena can all be found on this excellent page.

Aurorae

The Aurora Page from Michigan Technological University has information, links and images about the Northern Lights.
The Aurora Page of the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute. Regular forecasts of auroral activity over Alaska and the northern hemisphere. Photographs, FAQs, and good starting point for auroral information.
AuroraWatch UK comprehensive UK page including AuroraWatch Alert, providing you with aurora forecasts direct to your email or mobile phone.

Comets

The Comets Page sponsored by the American Meteor Society is a great resource. Forthcoming observational opportunities, cometary information and links to other comet sites.

Meteors and Meteor Showers

The Meteor Page What is a meteor? Look at the Education Corner for basic meteor information. Also includes calendar with details of individual meteor showers, and when and where in the sky to observe them.
The Fireball Observing Page We often receive reports of sightings of particularly bright meteors - fireballs. Observers at the Society for Popular Astronomy are keen to hear from you if you've spotted such a meteor; this page gives details of how best to record your sighting.
International Meteor Organisation - a slightly more technical page for enthusiasts and those interested in making a more scientific record of their observations.
Phil Bagnall's Homepage has an excellent meteor section. One glance at the calendar shows you what's coming, when, and where to look when it does. He also has an excellent guide to anomalous meteor phenomena.
Forthcoming meteor events page of the Astronomer Online Magazine. A comprehensive guide to seeing the major annual showers.

Satellites

J-Pass Excellent (when you've got the hang of it) resource for calculating when and where satellites will be visible from any location on Earth.
Heavens Above is a more user-friendly satellite tracking page, with some very handy star charts.

Weather

Atmospheric Phenomena. Seen something strange? A large number of "UFO" sightings can be explained as unusual cloud formations and other odd atmospheric effects. This page from the German Halo Research Group has some spectacular (and very eerie) pictures.
The Met. Office Home Page. Useful when you want to know about observing conditions, or just interested in the weather.