A fleeting visit
Out at Middlemarch, the night has a way of settling in properly.
Science
Thinking big 50 years on
Thinking big 50 years on
Gold is in the news, with opinion divided over the proposed Bendigo mine near Tarras.
Art colours in the story
Art colours in the story
It was 10 years ago, on a balmy warm evening in Greece, that I yarned with Mike Petraglia during a gathering to celebrate our son Tom and Katerina’s wedding.
Fashionably late to my own party
Fashionably late to my own party
Space weather, I’ve learned, behaves very much like normal weather.
Warmed by the moon’s smile
Warmed by the moon’s smile
The moon has been keeping me company again this week, lifting itself into the evening sky with a calm, unhurried assurance.
Wonders of warrior’s grave revealed
Wonders of warrior’s grave revealed
King Nestor features prominently in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, as his drama of the Trojan wars unfolded.
Sandflies enjoying soggy summer
Sandflies enjoying soggy summer
Overcast, humid weather favours sandflies, which are starting to be reported.
Hot tub astronomy in summer
Hot tub astronomy in summer
The western horizon from my Middlemarch place has improved markedly of late.
Up close and mesmerised
Up close and mesmerised
The Shanghai Archaeological Forum is held biannually and I have been fortunate to have attended all six.
Up to their new tricks
Up to their new tricks
Over the past week, the media have been reporting on a new discovery — that 450,000 years ago, Neanderthals were generating fire, far earlier than previously known.
Marvels captured moment to moment
Marvels captured moment to moment
As this is the final Skywatch column for the year, it feels like the right moment to look back rather than up — though, of course, I’ve done plenty of both.
Cosy stargazing from home
Cosy stargazing from home
Occasionally, astronomy presents you with a piece of technology that changes your life.
Exploring the digital tomb of Tutankhamun
Exploring the digital tomb of Tutankhamun
Inevitably almost, I have to write about Tutankhamun.
A great year in archaeology back in 1922
A great year in archaeology back in 1922
Several readers have asked me about Pu-Abi, mentioned in last week’s column — 1922 was a memorable year for archaeology.
Poetry of coronal auroras
Poetry of coronal auroras
On the evening of November 12, I found myself repeating a familiar ritual of this remarkable solar cycle.
Lighting just the way ahead
Lighting just the way ahead
I’ve been spending a lot of evenings lately at my new observatory near Middlemarch.
Lessons from beyond the veil
Lessons from beyond the veil
One item of a proposed new curriculum for schools attracted my attention.
Neanderthals emerge from slithers of the past
Neanderthals emerge from slithers of the past
I first visited the Crimea 20 years ago.
Mountain graves frozen in time
Mountain graves frozen in time
It is exactly a year since the discovery of Sandy Irvine’s boot on Mt Everest.
Braiding a story from day’s-end parade
Braiding a story from day’s-end parade
Look west this week just after the sun drops and you’ll find Scorpius leaning into the dusk, its sting almost vertical, and Antares beating time where the scorpion’s heart would be.