UK Astronomy Events

31/10/2026

Here we are on a foggy spooky stargazing night at Stowe House, we are hopeful that the skies are going to clear a bit later. For some views of Saturn, andromeda and many more awesome objects in our skies.

31/10/2026

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER CLOSES MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!
Have you captured something amazing in the night sky this year? Maybe a stunning Moon shot, a colourful nebula, the Northern Lights, a beautiful starry sky, or even your very first attempt at astrophotography?

Well, we want to see it!
Our 2026 UK Astronomy Photo Competition is nearly over, and you've only got until midnight on 31st October to get your entry in!
And the best bit? It's completely FREE to enter!
This competition isn't just about finding the best astronomy photographs. It's about encouraging everyone to get outside, look up, try something new, learn a few things along the way and, most importantly, HAVE FUN!

You don't need to be an expert, own an expensive telescope or have years of experience. Whether you're taking photos with your smartphone, experimenting with a smart scope or capturing distant galaxies with a dedicated astrophotography setup, we want you to get involved!

We've got 14 different categories, with something for just about everyone. From the Moon, planets and the Milky Way to aurora, nebulae, galaxies and more!

Each category is designed to make the competition fun and accessible, giving beginners, enthusiastic amateurs and experienced astrophotographers alike the chance to share what they've captured.

And there are some fantastic prizes up for grabs!
- Winning photographs will feature in our 2027 UK Astronomy Calendar, either on the cover or as one of the 12 months!
- Winning images will also be displayed at Sherwood Observatory in 2027! Imagine visiting an observatory and seeing YOUR photograph on display!

Think your photo isn't good enough? ENTER IT ANYWAY!
Seriously! This isn't just for the professionals. Some of the most wonderful astronomy photographs come from people simply having a go, experimenting and enjoying the night sky.
You might have captured something special without even realising it!

ENTRIES CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT ON 31ST OCTOBER 2026
Just a few things to remember: the competition is only open to UK residents, it's one photo per person, and images taken with smart telescopes must be entered into our dedicated Smart Scopes category.

So come on, dig out your favourite astronomy photo and give it a go!

You could end up seeing your photograph in our 2027 calendar AND proudly displayed at Sherwood Observatory next year!
ENTER HERE: https://ukastronomy.org/photo_competition.php

PLEASE GIVE THIS POST A SHARE
Let's encourage as many people as possible to get involved. Whether they're seasoned astrophotographers or someone who just loves taking photos of the Moon on their phone, everyone deserves a chance to join in the fun.

Keep looking up, keep learning and keep enjoying the wonders of our universe.. because there are a billion worlds in your back back garden.

25/10/2026

The Moon is looking epic tonight after the storms finally passed, you may even spot Saturn to its right hopefully before anymore clouds get in the way.. clear skies 😬

23/10/2026

We’re at Ascott Estate tonight, bringing the wonders of the night sky a little closer to everyone.

Unfortunately, the stormy weather isn’t playing along, so stargazing is looking unlikely, but there’s still plenty to see and do.

We’ve got two talks, a fantastic selection of telescopes and equipment for visitors to explore, and our brilliant UK Astronomy volunteers on hand to answer questions, share their knowledge and hopefully inspire a few future astronomers!

Events like this are about so much more than just looking through a telescope. They’re about making astronomy accessible, sparking curiosity and giving people the opportunity to discover something new.

A huge thank you to our volunteers for giving up their Friday evening to help make it all happen.

Clear skies or not, we’re here to share our love of astronomy!

22/10/2026

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER!

Have you captured something amazing in the night sky this year? Maybe a stunning Moon shot, a colourful nebula, the Northern Lights, a beautiful starry sky, or even your very first attempt at astrophotography?

Well, we want to see it!

Our 2026 UK Astronomy Photo Competition is nearly over, and you've only got until midnight on 31st October to get your entry in!

And the best bit? It's completely FREE to enter!

This competition isn't just about finding the best astronomy photographs. It's about encouraging everyone to get outside, look up, try something new, learn a few things along the way and, most importantly, HAVE FUN!

You don't need to be an expert, own an expensive telescope or have years of experience. Whether you're taking photos with your smartphone, experimenting with a smart scope or capturing distant galaxies with a dedicated astrophotography setup, we want you to get involved!

We've got 14 different categories, with something for just about everyone. From the Moon, planets and the Milky Way to aurora, nebulae, galaxies and more!

Each category is designed to make the competition fun and accessible, giving beginners, enthusiastic amateurs and experienced astrophotographers alike the chance to share what they've captured.

And there are some fantastic prizes up for grabs!

- Winning photographs will feature in our 2027 UK Astronomy Calendar, either on the cover or as one of the 12 months!
- Winning images will also be displayed at Sherwood Observatory in 2027! Imagine visiting an observatory and seeing YOUR photograph on display!

Think your photo isn't good enough? ENTER IT ANYWAY!

Seriously! This isn't just for the professionals. Some of the most wonderful astronomy photographs come from people simply having a go, experimenting and enjoying the night sky.

You might have captured something special without even realising it!

ENTRIES CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT ON 31ST OCTOBER 2026

Just a few things to remember: the competition is only open to UK residents, it's one photo per person, and images taken with smart telescopes must be entered into our dedicated Smart Scopes category.

So come on, dig out your favourite astronomy photo and give it a go!

You could end up seeing your photograph in our 2027 calendar AND proudly displayed at Sherwood Observatory next year!

ENTER HERE: https://ukastronomy.org/photo_competition.php

PLEASE GIVE THIS POST A SHARE

Let's encourage as many people as possible to get involved. Whether they're seasoned astrophotographers or someone who just loves taking photos of the Moon on their phone, everyone deserves a chance to join in the fun.

Keep looking up, keep learning and keep enjoying the wonders of our universe.. because there are a billion worlds in your back back garden.

21/10/2026

19/10/2026

Tonights Moon, quick shot using our dwarf3 looking awesome with the clouds rolling over but managed to grab it through a gap.

17/10/2026

Last night we where at millmead hall doing an event for Wolverton and Greenleys council , it was a clear night and we managed to see some cool bits up in the sky. We even managed a pic of andromeda with the dwarf3.

16/10/2026

Tonight its looking clear and we have an event!
So I thought I would post about a few objects we may try looking for tonight.

Albireo is a star that represents Cygnus the swans head and is a famous gold and blue double star system. Epsilon lyrae is another, Both being blue in the constellation Lyra, also Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major which can actually be seen separately by eye.

Polaris is actually part of a asterism known as the engagement ring, where a group of stars make a circle (ring), with Polaris being the shining diamond In ursa minor.

The coathanger cluster is not far off the Dumbbell nebula a dead star, so you can have a look for these between two small constellations Vulpecula the fox and Sagitta the arrow.

There's a great globular cluster in Hercules of some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, and a open cluster of stars in the heart of Perseus with Mirfak at its center. Its famous double cluster is also worth a look above between the hero and W of Cassiopeia.

Erakis near king Cepheus is one of the reddest stars in the sky, known as the garnet. Vega in Lyra is bright blue-white in contrast.

Leaving us last but no way least the Andromeda galaxy.

Hope these help you get out and spot or snap some cool objects, clear skies.

11/10/2026

Last night sadly no aurora for us but we did go for IC1848 the Soul nebula, to compliment last nights Heart.

Like the heart this is also an emission nebula full of clusters to be explored, both are located in-between the Cassiopeia and Perseus constellations.

These types of nebula are giant clouds of gas and dust that have at least one star within them, the light emitted from the star causes the nebula to become visible. As the nebula contains vast quantities of hydrogen, the close star causes Ionization of the gas making it glow.

Again this pic was just under 900 images stacked together by the dwarf3 smart scope, as it was a bit cloudy so didn't get the full 999 pics. We also asked it to reduce the stars a tad so we could see the nebula better.