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.
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.
1 Sept 2026
Look Up! September 2026
What’s in the night sky this September? Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomers Gideon and Catherine cover this month’s must-see cosmic objects and events in this podcast. We bring on our fellow astronomer Tania de Sales Marques to answer a visitor question. As usual, our hosts also discuss this month’s cosmic news stories, including the story of the discovery of Neptune and where our germs might be able to survive on the Moon.
Got a question about space? Send it to us at ROGeducation@rmg.co.uk and our team of astronomers will answer it in next month’s podcast.
If you want to write in, our address is:
Astronomy Education Team
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Park Row, Greenwich,
London, SE10 9NF
3 Aug 2026
Look Up! August 2026
What’s in the night sky this August? Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomers Gideon and Catherine cover this month’s must-see cosmic objects and events in this podcast. As usual, our hosts also discuss this month’s cosmic news stories, including the Psyche mission and a major exoplanet discovery.
Got a question about space? Send it to us at ROGeducation@rmg.co.uk and our team of astronomers will answer it in next month’s podcast.
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