Sky Watch by Geoff Burt

This month, we're due for a spooky 'Occultation' event! Around midnight on the 28th, a few days before all manner of creepy entities emerge to petrify the ‘Petersphere’ at Halloween, there's an occultation of the lovely Pleiades star cluster by the Moon.

‘Occultation’ doesn’t infer anything sinister or supernatural, but it is exciting! To find out more, listen to this month's Sky Watch. 

Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello and welcome to ‘Sky Watch’, your personal 'Petersphere' stargazing bulletin for September!

September marks the beginning of the new stargazing season in the ‘Petersphere’; when the Autumnal Equinox on the 23rd marks the transition to longer nights and shorter days. 

Everyone regrets the passing of Summer, but now we have the consolation of glorious Autumn night skies!

Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to ‘Sky Watch’, your personal 'Petersphere' stargazing bulletin for August!

Once in a while we get a special astronomical event, and this month the Petersphere is due for a deep partial eclipse of the Sun. On August 12th, over 90% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon at maximum, which will significantly lower sunlight and produce a noticeable effect! 

For more, listen to this month's Sky Watch. Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back into the holiday season in the 'Petersphere', and this month Sky Watch is going to get ambitious! Usually, you’re encouraged to observe a handful of stars in a particular constellation that happens to be well-placed in the evenings above our town. This month however, our main observing target consists of billions of stars!

Discover what you can see in the Petersphere night skies this month with the latest Sky Watch.

Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover what the recent NASA Artemis II astronauts saw on their epic adventure and how it compares to what you can see of the Moon from the 'Petersphere'.

And we reveal what a noctilucent cloud is and how you can see their ethereal beauty during June and July.

Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we get two Full Moons in the same calendar month, as we will on the 1st and 31st this month, the second is called a Blue Moon. Discover why this happens and when you can see both moons this month, and more in May's Sky Watch.

Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

Let Shine Radio open up the wonder of Petersfield's night skies for magical star-gazing from your doorstep, in Sky Watch.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The movable celebration of Easter is on Sunday the 5th of April this year. According to ecclesiastical tradition, Easter Day falls on the Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox.

The Equinox was on the 20th of March, after which the Moon reaches Full phase on Thursday the 2nd of April. Thus, Easter Sunday is on the 5th, a full fortnight earlier than last year!

Discover what you can see in the Petersphere night skies this month with the latest Sky Watch installation.

Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to our 3rd anniversary ‘Sky Watch’ episode!

We’re incredibly fortunate to be within one of the best stargazing areas in this part of the planet! The south of England boasts a number of areas that are ideal for stargazing.

The 'Petersphere' is more or less in the midst of this astronomically blessed region. Our town is inside a Dark Sky Reserve inside a National Park. Not only that, but our part of the world includes two planetariums, one in Winchester, one in Chichester, and an observatory halfway between.

What better place for stargazing - and of course 'Sky Watch' brings you the latest highlights every month.

Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ladies and gentlemen, please take your partners for the planetary waltz!

The heavens may look tranquil, yet everything is in constant motion. The Earth revolves around the Sun, the Solar System revolves around the Milky Way, which in turn revolves around the Local Group of galaxies, and so on.

Discover more in this month's Sky Watch. Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, Happy New Stargazing Year, and welcome to 'Sky Watch' for January!

Along with 2025, the first quarter of the 21st century has gone. Where does all that time go? Take a deep breath when you realise we're now nearer to 2050 than we've come from 2001!

So, speaking of time passing, have you ever wondered what the oldest planet in our Solar System is? Discover this and more in Sky Watch.

Written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt, and voiced by Claire Vennis, every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.