Scotland’s Sky in February 2022
James Webb reaches new home and prepares for science tasks
Scotland’s Sky in January 2022
January’s Quadrantids meteor shower could be the best of 2022
Scotland’s Sky in December 2021
Planets align as the James Webb telescope readies for launch
Alan Pickup
I came to Edinburgh in 1968 to join the Satellite Tracking Section at the ROE, and I joined the ASE in the same year. I wrote my first newspaper notes on the night sky for both the Guardian and the Scotsman for the month of 1974 August, initially as (I thought) a temporary stand-in for Norman Matthew. Sadly, he never took the reins again and I continued with both papers, adding the Sunday Times in late 1979 (exactly 40 years ago). I still write those monthly notes for the Scotsman and weekly ones for the Sunday Times. My Guardian writing expanded over the years with more frequent notes on astronomy, space and satellite visibility, but I ended my Guardian career with a final Starwatch note published on 2018 January 1 in anticipation of its switch to a more restrictive tabloid format. You can still access quite a large number of my Guardian notes on their webpage.
As satellite tracking ended at the ROE in the 1970s, I got involved with the Observatory’s site testing, working for short periods in Spain, Italy and Tenerife at potential locations for what eventually became the UK’s observatory on La Palma. Having become involved, also, with software for the design and operation of the UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) and its instruments, I continued this in Hawaii between 1981 and 1987, where I was interviewed by Patrick Moore for the 25th anniversary programme of The Sky at Night. After returning to the ROE, I continued to work on software and instrument development, including several commissioning trips back to Hawaii, until I retired in 2005.
Obviously, I’m still involved with the ASE of which I am a past-President and the proud recipient of its Lorimer Medal in 2011. I think my first PowerPoint presentation of the monthly night sky for the ASE was in 2003 November, and I’ve done a fair proportion of them ever since. I now do a similar monthly presentation for Edinburgh’s University of the Third Age (U3A) Astronomy Group with which I am also active.

Sky Diary Archive
Scotland’s Sky in February 2020
Mercury joins brilliant Venus in best evening sky of 2020
Scotland’s Sky in January 2020
Venus and Orion dominate our January evenings
Scotland’s Sky in December 2019
The Bronze Age bull that leads Orion across our night sky
Scotland’s Sky in November 2019
Mercury crosses Sun as bright planets converge in evening sky
Scotland’s Sky in October 2019
Amateur astronomer discovers first interstellar comet
Scotland’s Sky in September, 2019
Friendly Delphinus the Dolphin wins a place among the stars The maps [...]
Scotland’s Sky in August, 2019
Giant planets hang low in evenings as Perseid meteors fly The [...]
Scotland’s Sky in July, 2019
A partial eclipse of the Moon next to Saturn on the 16th [...]
Scotland’s Sky in June, 2019
Is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot unfurling before our eyes? The maps [...]
Scotland’s Sky in May, 2019
Giant world Jupiter becoming obvious in May’s twilit nights The maps [...]
Scotland’s Sky in April, 2019
Galaxy clusters of interest in April’s southern evening sky The maps [...]
Scotland’s Sky in March, 2019
Watch earth satellites transit our vernal equinox sky The maps show [...]
Scotland’s Sky in February, 2019
Orion and Winter Hexagon in prime-time view The maps show the [...]
Scotland’s Sky in January, 2019
Rise early for a total lunar eclipse on the 21st The [...]
Scotland’s Sky in December, 2018
Comet sweeps near Earth as meteors streak from Gemini The maps [...]
Scotland’s Sky in November, 2018
InSight probe to land on bright evening planet Mars The maps [...]
Scotland’s Sky in October, 2018
Draconid meteors glide away from the Dragon’s head The maps show [...]
Scotland’s Sky in September, 2018
Summer Triangle stars as autumn evenings begin The maps show the [...]
Scotland’s Sky in August, 2018
Perseid meteor shower peaks in planet-rich sky The maps show the [...]
Scotland’s Sky in July, 2018
Dust storm rages on Mars as it stands closest since 2003 [...]
Scotland’s Sky in June, 2018
Three planets outshine the stars during June’s twilit nights The maps [...]
Scotland’s Sky in May, 2018
Jupiter’s conspicuous opposition in the Balance The maps show the sky [...]
Scotland’s Sky in April, 2018
Impressive conjunction before dawn for Mars and Saturn The maps show [...]
Scotland’s Sky in March, 2018
Elusive Mercury is second evening star alongside Venus The maps show [...]
Scotland’s Sky in February, 2018
Conspicuous Jupiter leads trio of planets before dawn The maps show [...]