The Rambling Astronomer

In mythology it is the smaller of the dogs that follows Orion the Hunter.  It has only one bright star alpha or Procyon which means ‘Before the Dog’, this is because it rises before Sirius.

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomical societies...

Canis Major is a stunning constellation which I am afraid to say we never see at its best from Britain because it is quite low down in the sky. In the Mediterranean area it would be much higher in the sky and would look even more impressive. The constellation which can be seen in the winter months in Britain represents one of the hunting dogs that follow Orion the Hunter across the sky and contain...

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomical societies...

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomica...

Canes Venatici or the Hunting Dogs is a modern constellation, created by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius 1611-1687 who introduced this constellation to the star maps in the 1680s. He introduced 9 new constellations of which 8 are surprisingly still used today.  Although most are faint groups that fit in-between the ancient classical constellations. Canes Venatici is probably one of the bri...

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomica...

Cancer is a zodiacal constellation in fact it is the faintest of the constellations that can be found in the zodiac. It can be found in the sky between Gemini the Twins and Leo the Lion both more spectacular examples of constellations in the zodiac.

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomica...

Camelopardalis the Giraffe is without doubt one of the dullest of the northern constellations. It was first created by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius around 1613.

This is one of the 14 obscure constellations created by Nicolas Louis de La Caille. It was first seen in his catalogue of 1763. There are no stars brighter than magnitude 4.0 and the four faint stars that do form Caelum could easily have been incorporated into the constellation of Eridanus the River.

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomica...

The constellation of Bootes is usually described as the Herdsman who was placed in the sky for inventing the plough drawn by two oxen. The way to pronounce Bootes is to think of the word co-ordinate.  Bootes is very prominent in the spring and early summer skies.  It is always a little bit difficult to work out the best shape to describe Bootes because it is a large constellation and it is in a fa...

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomica...

A striking constellation in the northern skies, Auriga lies above the horns of Taurus the Bull and forms the shape of a kite. Auriga is named after the son of Vulcan who invented the four horse chariot. Its brightest star Capella is the 6th brightest star in the sky.

A constellation that dates to ancient times, in legend Aries represented the Ram whose golden fleece was sought by Jason and the Argonauts. If you watch the film Jason and the Argonauts, you will get an idea of the story.

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomica...

Ara the Altar lies in a dense part of the Milky Way immediately south of the hook of stars that make up the tail of Scorpius the Scorpion. It is invisible from Britain but has been known since ancient times, remember that many of these constellations were created in Greece which is much further south than we are in Britain meaning that constellations like Ara will be seen much higher in the sky. A...

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomica...

One of the main summer constellations ,Aquila does look a little like the image it is supposed to represent. Its brightest star Altair is one of the three summer stars that form the summer triangle.

An autumn constellation Aquariue is one of the oldest of the constellations, many ancient civilisations saw the group as someone carry or pouring water. As a zodiacal constellation we  sometimes see planets moving throufg Aquarius

A small constellation introduced in 1598 by the Dutch astronomer and cartographer Petrus Plancius based on the observations of Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. Apus cannot be seen from Britain.

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE tonight and every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomica...

One of the so called modern constellations like many of these consteallation Antlia is faint and hard to see.. In theory it can just be seen very low down from Britainn but because the stars are so faint this is a feal challenge. 

The first of a series of little rambles among the constellations, starting with Andromeda which ia an autimn constellation, its quite easy to see and it is part of one of the most famous of all the Greek myths and legends.