August was quite a month for the sky.

Chasing the solar eclipse

I travelled to Cornwall to photograph the partial solar eclipse as the evening Sun dropped towards the horizon. The Seestar S50 recorded the Moon gradually moving across the face of the Sun.

The other eclipse of August

Sixteen days later, the geometry reversed. This time Earth moved between the Sun and the Moon, producing a very deep partial lunar eclipse. I didn’t manage to observe this one, but the connection between the two August eclipses is a fascinating astronomical story in itself.

A completely new Show Me The Sky

The website has had a complete refresh. It is now much easier to explore observations, astrophotography, Astronomy Lab experiments, astronomy software and the courses you can join online.

Can you measure the distance to the Moon with a Seestar S50?

I used a calibrated Seestar image sequence to estimate the Moon’s apparent angular size and convert it into distance.

A darker night

New Moon means no bright moonlight competing with the stars — a good opportunity for deep-sky observing.

Autumn begins

The autumnal equinox marks the start of astronomical autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. From here, the nights become progressively longer.

The Harvest Moon

September’s Full Moon is the Harvest Moon this year — the Full Moon closest to the autumn equinox.

Saturn takes centre stage

Neptune reaches opposition on 26 September, while Saturn becomes increasingly well placed through the month as it approaches opposition in early October. Saturn is the easier target and well worth a look through a telescope.

Show Me The Sky masterclasses can now be booked directly through the website.

Choose from sessions covering the Moon, Sun, planets, deep-sky observing, astrophotography and celestial mechanics.

That’s it for the first monthly round-up. If there is something you would like me to observe, explain or experiment with on Show Me The Sky, just reply to this email — ideas are always welcome.

Clear skies,
Alan
Show Me The Sky