The Starspotter’s Guide – Sheila Kanani

in conversation with Paul Crowther

23 October, 2025 at 18:30:00

In her first book for adults, astronomer Sheila Kanani pulls together the rich tapestry of the night sky for the armchair stargazer. She shares stories that cultures across the world have told about the stars for millennia from astrologers in ancient India using the stars to calculate the length of the year, to Polynesian explorers using them to navigate far beyond their homes. She explores new knowledge about what stars actually are and what you’d see if you jumped on a spacecraft and explored these galaxies yourself.

Dr Sheila Kanani MBE is a planetary physicist, science presenter, teacher, Education, Outreach and Diversity officer for the Royal Astronomical Society in London and space comedian.

Paul Crowther is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Sheffield and Astronomy Vice President for the Royal Astronomical Society. His research involves the study of the birth, life and death of the most massive stars in the universe.