Local

Orkney looked out for Venus transit Observers in Orkney and Shetland had the best opportunity to watch the Venue transit of June 2012, but the weather turned out to be too cloudy to see very much. The Orcadian Sky Notes by John Vetterlein were essential preparation, as they are through the whole astronomical year. Venus transits occur in pairs,

Since June 2008, the Highlands Astronomical Society has been the proud owner of a state-of-the-art observatory located near the NTS Visitor Centre at Culloden Battlefield.

The island has a standing stone, with a small hole in it. This type of stone seems to date from the Neolithic period, four to five thousand years ago.

The Orcadian's Orkney Sky Notes column is ten years old. The column, produced by Rousay astronomer John Vetterlein, has become not only an essential guide to the Orkney night sky but also an ideal way to learn about astronomy.