Perseids Meteor Shower
As we enter August astronomers turn they’reeyes to the late summer sky in anticipation of spotting one of the greatest meteor showers of the year, the Perseids. The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associatedwith the comet Swift–Tuttle. The Perseids are so called because the point from which they appear to come, called the […]
Dark Sky Wales Astronomer Martin Griffiths has a new Book!
Dark Sky Wales are proud to announce the printing of our astronomer Martin Griffiths book on Celtic Mythology. If you’ve been lucky enough to visit our planetarium you would have heard some of the tales but in this fascinating book you will discover the rest. Well done Martin! In Dark Land, Dark Skies, […]
June Skies
The nights of June are not very long as we march towards and past the “longest day” where 16 hours of sunlight actually mean 20 hours of daylight for us living in temperate zones. Nevertheless, there are some great objects to look out for, especially the planet Saturn. Moon in June: New: 24th June First […]
Return of the Milky Way
As we enter the summer months our thoughts turn to holidays and a much deserved break! However, us astronomers think slightly different. Our attention turns to the return of Milky Way. Although visible all year round the summer Milky Way allows astronomers to look towards the core of the Galaxy. Here we find a […]
March Skies
The Night Sky in March 2017 The spring constellations of Leo, Hydra and Bootes are now high in the sky and visible all night whilst the galaxies of the Virgo cluster become prime objects for study. The giant planet Jupiter begins to dominate the night. Moon in March: New: 28th March First quarter: 5th March […]
Constellation of the Month – Hydra
Listen to DSW Astronomer Martin Griffiths as he takes a close look at the constellation of Hydra.
February Skies
DSW Astronomer Martin Griffiths takes a look at the February sky. The bright winter constellations still dominate the evening but by midnight and into early morning the spring constellations of Leo, Hydra and Bootes become visible and the galaxies of the Virgo cluster become prime objects for study. Moon in February: New: 26th February First […]
The Christmas Star
As we approach the festive period and look forward to enjoying the company of family and friends let us consider the potential astronomical origins of the ‘Christmas Star’. In Christian tradition the star indicated the direction in which the three wise men had to travel to discover the newly born king Jesus Christ. However, if […]
The December Night Sky
Dark Sky Wales astronomer Martin Griffiths once again looks at the month ahead highlighting those astronomical must for you to go and see. The fantastic constellations of winter begin to dominate the sky with Taurus, Orion, Perseus and Auriga being the main features. By the end of the month the brightest star in the sky, […]
Gemini Meteor Shower
This December 13/14th sees another great meteor shower! Radiating from the constellation of Gemini this annual meteor shower is one of the years best! Best yet, there is no moon to obscure the 2015 Geminid shower. The meteors are plentiful, rivaling the August Perseids, with perhaps 50 to 100 meteors per hour visible at the […]