Since Prof Brian Cox swapped the pop stardom of D:Ream for promoting the joys of stargazing to the nations TV viewers it seems we havent been able to get enough of staring at the night sky.

But here in Merseyside there have been keen star spotters since the Victorian days, when the Liverpool Astronomical Society was set up.

Its still going strong today, and this weekend well all have the chance to join them in their scouring of the heavens when they hold a star party as part of National Astronomy Week.

Held in Wirral Country Park, the free event will include talks, advice on telescopes and, most importantly, views of the night sky.

At the moment the sighting to get most excited about is the planet Jupiter, which is now at its clearest. Miss it this time around and youll have to wait another 11 years for a good look.

Jupiter is at its highest point in the sky for many years and it wont be this high again until 2025, says Gerard Gilligan, Liverpool Astronomical Societys honorary secretary.

Its a very dynamic planet, the biggest in the Solar System. It rotates once every 10 hours or so and its cloud systems are always changing. Its also got the big red spot, which is a tremendous storm, much bigger than the Earth, which has been raging for 600 years.

If you look carefully, with binoculars or a telescope, you can see Jupiters four bright moons (it has 63 in total), which rotate and cast shadows on the planets surface.

Whether you join the star party or watch from the comfort of your own back garden, its also worth looking out for Orion the constellation named after the hunter of Greek mythology who Zeus placed among the stars after he was killed by a giant scorpion.

It is most easily spotted by the three stars in a row that make up the hunters belt.

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The Evening Read: Heavens above! Enjoy the wonders of the night sky at 'star party'