Look Up!

Royal Observatory Greenwich

Join the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich as they discuss the night sky and recent news in the wide world of astronomy. The Royal Observatory Greenwich is the historic home of the Astronomer Royal, with the first building, Flamsteed House, built in 1675. Now the Observatory is a heritage site, museum and a centre for excellence in science learning.

  1. 16h ago

    Look Up! October 2026: The Sky We Share

    Every human who has ever lived has looked up at the night sky and wondered what they were looking at. This month, Gideon is joined by Royal Observatory Greenwich senior astronomer Tania de Sales Marques to celebrate the launch of The Sky We Share, a beautifully illustrated book of star stories from across the globe, written by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Marianna Ruiz Johnson. We also look ahead to the wider October programme at Royal Museums Greenwich. Tania was the in-house consultant on the book, which draws on almost 30 consultants worldwide. She shares her journey from stargazing on an island off Macau to the Royal Observatory, and explains what cultural astronomy really is: living knowledge systems, not just stories. We also hear from two of the book's contributors, Imo Bell and Paulo Nuno Martins, on why sky stories matter and what people most often misunderstand about traditional astronomical knowledge. In this episode: How the same constellations, like Orion, inspire completely different stories around the world The dark constellations of the Milky Way, including the Dark Emu Why the Pleiades appear as sisters and wives in so many cultures How light pollution, satellites and climate change are affecting sky knowledge How to share stories respectfully when they aren't yours to tell What to look for in the October sky: the Pleiades, best seen from 3 to 13 October, with a new moon on 10 October. Orion rises later in the season, and the full moon is on 26 October. The Sky We Share is published on 15 October and is available in bookshops and at the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. https://shop.rmg.co.uk/products/the-the-sky-we-share-star-stories-from-around-the-world?srsltid=AU7gw4UifIh9Q5EsnHcmUdsODIx85xWfZaTqzFKhU2nm5u6SXJ6IjyWP Look Up! is the podcast of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Keep looking up.

    Look Up! October 2026: The Sky We Share

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Join the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich as they discuss the night sky and recent news in the wide world of astronomy. The Royal Observatory Greenwich is the historic home of the Astronomer Royal, with the first building, Flamsteed House, built in 1675. Now the Observatory is a heritage site, museum and a centre for excellence in science learning.

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