The last week of January is an excellent time to try and see the Space Station. Even though it is travelling at around 28,000km per hour (17,500 mph), each pass will be visible for several minutes. Best ISS passes over UK (times may vary slightly depending on location) The star Algol in the constellation of Perseus represents the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. Also designated Beta Persei, it is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night) Caswell, the son of an Anglican clergyman, studied for the priesthood at Brasenose College, Oxford, England. He was ordained in 1839 and served the church in Stratford-sub-Castle but resigned his position in 1847. By this time he had become deeply involved in the Oxford Movement, an Anglican movement with strong Roman Catholic leanings. In 1847 Caswell and his wife traveled to Rome, where they were received into the Roman Catholic Church. After his wife's death Caswell became a Roman Catholic priest and joined the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham, a group supervised by John Henry Newman, an earlier Roman Catholic convert from the Church of England. Caswell then devoted himself to two main tasks–serving the poor of Birmingham and writing and translating hymns, mainly from the Latin office-books and from German sources. Many of his translations were published in his Lyra Catholica (1849) and, with revisions, in Hymns and Poems (1873).

In the eastern predawn sky on Friday, Nov. 13, the pretty, crescent moon will sit above Mercury and below much brighter Venus. Look for Virgo's brightest star Spica, sitting off to the moon's right, and the very bright star Arcturus way off to the upper left. The group will make a lovely photo opportunity when composed with some interesting scenery. (Image credit: )Early on this morning, around 6 a.m. local time, looking low toward the east-southeast horizon, the moon, now just two days from new phase, will appear decidedly narrower compared to 24 hours earlier. And once you sight it, take note of Venus nearly 8 degrees to its upper right and Spica almost 7 degrees to its right. And situated about 5.5 degrees directly below the moon is a very bright "star" glowing with a slight ochre hue. The best times to view it are usually soon after sunset or just before sunrise, when the Sun is just below the horizon. The star Altair in Aquila the Eagle shining several fist diameters to Vega's left has a magnitude value of 0.75, making it the 13th brightest star. Deneb in Cygnus the Swan will be located above and between the other two, rounding out the trio of hot white stars that form the Summer Triangle asterism. At magnitude 1.25, Deneb is the 20th brightest star. The text is given in six-line stanzas in modern hymnals to fit the standard tune. Most hymnals have four stanzas, though some have five or six. The first and last stanzas are nearly always from Caswall's translation, with the few exceptions taking both from Bridges. While there is some agreement on the opening and closing stanzas, the middle stanzas vary greatly in theme.

Here’s an early morning sight you won’t want to miss. The return of Sirius and the winter constellations to the morning sky heralds a change of season. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky. Neptune's westerly motion will be slowing as it readies to complete its retrograde loop next month. The planet will be easiest to see while it is highest in the sky during early evening. Much brighter Saturn will be shining about 24 degrees to Neptune's lower right (or celestial west). In a telescope, Neptune's tiny apparent disk will span 2.3 arc-seconds, but larger telescopes can also show Neptune's large moon Triton. The bright, waxing gibbous moon will hop past Neptune on Nov. 21-22. Skywatching terms In late August and early September, look for two hints of the changing season in the predawn sky: Orion the Hunter and Sirius the Dog Star. Recognizable for the short straight line of three stars that make up his Belt, Orion rises before dawn at this time of year. And the sky’s brightest star, Sirius – also known as the Dog Star, as it’s part of the constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog – follows Orion into the sky as the predawn darkness gives way to dawn. Orbiting at an average altitude of 400 km above the surface of the Earth, the ISS travels at a whopping 17,500 miles per hour, or 28,000 kilometers per hour, and takes around 90 minutes to complete one orbit around the Earth. This means that on the ISS, you get to see the Sun rise and set over the Earth 16 times every day! Due to its large solar panels, the ISS is easy to see because it reflects light from the Sun.

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The November Full Moon, traditionally known as the Beaver Moon or Frost Moon, always shines within or near the stars of Taurus and Aries. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night) The Moon’s orbit around Earth is not completely circular, and as a result of the Moon moving closer and further away from us, its size in our skies appears to change slightly. This means it is nearly dark here on the surface, but 400km (250 miles) up, the Space Station is brightly illuminated by the light of the Sun, making it unmistakably bright as it slides across the sky.

The second meteor shower active throughout the entire month and into November is the Orionids, which peak on the night of the 21st. On this night, an average of 25 meteors per hour is expected. This number sometimes varies, and in 2007 as many as 70 meteors per hour were recorded. This meteor shower is associated with the famous Halley's Comet, the only known comet that can re-appear twice during a human life.Over a week starting on Sunday evening, Nov. 19, the waxing moon will visit four planets in succession — Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, and Uranus. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night) On Wednesday evening, Nov. 29, sky-watchers east of the Mountain Time zone will have a special treat as the shadow of Io leads the Great Red Spot across Jupiter. At 5 p.m. EST (or 10:00 GMT) Io will begin to cross Jupiter — but its position alongside a dark belt will make seeing that moon difficult. As seen from the Northern Hemisphere, Orion precedes Sirius into the sky. After Orion first appears at dawn, you can count on Sirius to appear in the morning sky a few weeks later. Nikunj Rawal in Gir National Park, India, captured this photo of Orion on November 21, 2020. Note the brightest star at the bottom, Sirius. Thank you, Nikunj! The heliacal rising of Sirius

When looking at faint objects such as stars, nebulae, the Milky Way and other galaxies it is important to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark – so that you can achieve better night vision. The sky between Perseus and Cassiopeia hosts the Double Cluster, a pair of bright open star clusters that together cover a finger's width of the sky. They make a spectacular sight in binoculars (orange circle) or a telescope at low magnification. The northeastern sky on November evenings hosts the bright constellations of Perseus and W-shaped Cassiopeia, with the very bright star Capella positioned below them. On Wednesday evening, Nov. 29, sky-watchers east of the Mountain Time zone will have a special treat as the shadow of Io leads the Great Red Spot across Jupiter. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night) For example, the ISS will be visible from London on 1 October at 19:18. The space station will start its journey on the western horizon, moving south-west, and reaching a maximum height of 34 degrees in the sky. This passage will last for 6 minutes.

In a telescope, the planet will display a half-illuminated phase and an apparent disk diameter of 22 arc-seconds. With each passing day, Venus will slowly increase in illuminated phase, shrink in size, and diminish in brightness. Throughout most of this year, Venus will take on its role as ‘the Morning Star’, becoming brightly visible in the early mornings above the south-eastern horizon. This month Venus is best viewed before sunrise between 5 and 6am, appearing as a bright star to the naked eye. So be sure to get your day off to a great start with a hot drink and a greeting from one of our closest celestial neighbours. As an added bonus, if you keep an eye on Venus during the month, you’ll spot another bright object heading towards it – that bright object is the gas giant Jupiter. On the morning of April 30th the two planets will lie alongside each other in the morning sky. 1 April: Spot a pair of galaxies brings a host of exciting astronomical events and the long winter nights provide an excellent chance to spend some time under the stars and get to know our night sky a little better.