Polaris, commonly known as the pole star, is situated near the North Celestial Pole and has been used for centuries for navigation. But Polaris hasn't always been the Pole Star and won't be in future. This is gradually changing over a 25 800 year cycle.
Updated April 2026 The last humans to visit the lunar surface were the Apollo 17 astronauts back in December 1972, who spent only three days there. It is interesting to consider what it would be like to be on its surface for a period of a least a month and watch at first-hand how the… Continue reading Staying on the Moon
15 December 2025 This orginal post has been revised and updated. However, a new version is at Opportunities for solar energy In this post I’ll talk about some of the science behind this interesting fact and I’ll also discuss how solar energy is likely to become more important to us in the future. The facts… Continue reading Solar energy
On the night of 20/21 January 2019 there will be a total eclipse of the Moon, which will be viewable from many areas of the world. This will be worth making the effort to see, especially for my readers in the western USA and Canada for whom it will occur at a sociable hour. The… Continue reading 21 January 2019 lunar eclipse
On 27 July 2018 there will be a total eclipse of the Moon, which will be viewable from many areas of the world. This will be the first total lunar eclipse able to be observed in the UK for nearly three years and it will be worth making the effort to see, especially since, for… Continue reading Lunar eclipse 27 July 2018
