Sky Watch by Geoff Burt

"Oh, be a fine girl, kiss me!", or, if you prefer, "Oh, be a fine guy, kiss me!" That may sound like a Valentine's message, but for us stargazers it's a handy mnemonic. Find out why in February's Sky Watch and take a tour of the 'Winter Hexagon' asterism.

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.

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

We're accustomed to embarking on a new voyage around our local star every January, but it hasn't always been that way. Based on ecclesiastical tradition, the ‘Petersphere’ year began on the 25th of March for centuries, right up until 1752, before finally changing to the 1st of January!

The Winter night sky offers some of the best observations of the year. Listen to this month's Sky Watch to discover why.

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.

With another orbit of the Sun nearly complete, we reach the Winter Solstice on the 21st of the month.

The shortest day, the longest night, yet with the promise that Spring and Summer are on their way.

Meanwhile, when we get some high pressure at this time of year, the skies can be crystal clear if a little chilly.

So, keep a weather eye out and, whenever we get one of those glorious transparent Winter nights, wrap up warm, have a hot drink handy and head outside!

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.

Can you name a famous event that happened during the reign of King James the First?

There is one event that everyone has heard of, and it happened in November. "Remember, remember, the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason, and plot!" 

So why is Sky Watch concerned with the Gunpowder Plot? Thereby hangs a tale of 17th century intrigue with a connection to this show!

Every month Shine Radio presents a Sky Watch of our unique dark skies.

Sky Watch is written by Petersphere resident, astronomical expert and amateur astronomer Geoff Burt and voiced by Claire Vennis from under the dark skies of Langrish.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autumn's rich colour palette of reds, oranges, yellows and golds is at its best in the Petersphere during October. 

There's never a better time of year to appreciate our location among the South Downs, plus the new stargazing season is properly under way now so here's what's in store for this month.

Discover what you can see in the Petersphere's dark skies this month with Sky Watch.

Written by Geoff Burt and voiced by Claire Vennis from under the dark skies of Langrish.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summer has passed in the 'Petersphere', but the consolation is that the new stargazing season begins!

Look out for the Harvest Moon on the 17th/18th, a few days before the Autumn Equinox on the 22nd. This will be the second in a sequence of 4 Supermoons this year.

This month also sees a partial lunar eclipse when the Moon glides through the Earth's outer shadow. It's an exciting time for stargazing in our international dark sky reserve area.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's shooting star season in the Petersphere and from mid-July until the third week of August you can view the best meteor shower of the year. 

Also later in the month, look out for the first Supermoon, in a sequence of 4 this year. This Supermoon will also be a seasonal Blue Moon, which occurs every 2-3 years.

Find out what a Blue Moon is, when to view it and why a reclining garden chair could be important this month. Tune in to Sky Watch to open up the wonder of Petersfield's night skies for magical star-gazing from your doorstep in Sky Watch.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover how to view the Moon inside a teapot with the Milky Way looking like the steam coming out of the spout in this month's Sky Watch.

The month of July brings the second half of Noctilucent Cloud season and there's the chance of more Northern Lights sightings too. Tune in to Sky Watch to 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.

Astronomical twilight overlaps in the Petersphere this time of year so there's no true night and with the Summer Solstice taking place on June 20th we will bask in more than sixteen and a half hours of daylight!

We find out about the 13th sign of zodiac in this month's Sky Watch and how to view noctilucent clouds too.

With the sun currently nearing the height of its 11-year activity cycle we're far enough north to get the auroras when the solar activity is high.  This year we could be getting noctilucent clouds and auroras at once!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Shine Sky Watch, a monthly summary of night sky events for stargazers in and around Petersfield.

This time of year, nights in the Petersphere are distinctly shorter than the days and, officially, night only lasts for about 2 hours.

May is the best time to find the second largest constellation in the sky. Find out about Virgo the Maiden and Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, whose light began its vast journey through the cosmos to your eye at around the time that the United States claimed independence!

The Moon reaches Full phase on the 23rd, traditionally called in the northern hemisphere the 'Flower Moon’, and we look out for ethereal Noctilucent Clouds this month – Sky Watch will show you how.

Sky Watch is read from under the dark skies of Langrish by Claire Vennis. Listen to Sky Watch every month for magical star-gazing on your doorstep.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.