The Aphelion reference library
Find something in the sky.
47 results
On the wall
A Beginner's Guide to Astronomy Art
Astronomy art runs from photoreal nebulae to graphic retro posters. Knowing the main genres makes it far easier to choose prints that work together on a wall.
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Are photos of nebulae real?
The objects are real. The colours usually are not what your eye would see. Most nebula images map invisible wavelengths onto visible ones so the structure becomes legible.
More guides and references
Astronomy print questions, answered.
The questions people type into a search bar before they buy something for the wall: how big, framed or not, and whether any of these pictures are real.
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Beaver Moon: November’s full moon
November’s full moon, full on Tuesday 24 November 2026 at 2:53pm GMT. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
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Blue Moon: May’s full moon
May’s full moon, full on Sunday 31 May 2026 at 9:45am BST. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
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Buck Moon: July’s full moon
July’s full moon, full on Wednesday 29 July 2026 at 3:36pm BST. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
On the wall
Can wall art be too big for a wall?
Yes. A print is too big when there is no clear margin left around it, and the giveaway is that the room starts to feel smaller rather than more dramatic.
On the wall
Canvas vs Framed Print vs Poster: How to Choose
Canvas, framed print or poster? Canvas is glare-free and made for big, atmospheric images; a framed print is crisp and ready to hang; a poster is the keenest on price. Here's how to choose: by room, by budget, …
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Cold Moon: December’s full moon
December’s full moon, full on Thursday 24 December 2026 at 1:28am GMT. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
On the wall
Does canvas look better framed or unframed?
Neither is objectively better. Unframed canvas suits modern rooms and images that carry to the edge; a frame suits formal settings and gives the picture a defined boundary.
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Every full moon has a name
Thirteen full moons in 2026, twelve in 2027, each with its traditional name and the exact minute it is full in London. Dates from NASA, checked against the Royal Observatory.
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Flower Moon: May’s full moon
May’s full moon, full on Friday 1 May 2026 at 6:23pm BST. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
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Harvest Moon: September’s full moon
September’s full moon, full on Saturday 26 September 2026 at 5:49pm BST. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
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How do people get pictures of galaxies?
By collecting light for hours and adding it together. A galaxy image is dozens or hundreds of long exposures stacked into one frame, not a single photograph.
Your own sky
How to Turn a Photo Into a Painting
The fastest way to turn a photo into a painting is to let software repaint it in a chosen art style: upload, pick a look, and preview it free before deciding whether to print. Here's exactly how it works.
Your own sky
How to Turn a Photo Into Line Art
The quickest way to turn a photo into line art is to let software trace it into a single clean line: upload, pick the Line Art style, and preview it free before you print.
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Hunter's Moon: October’s full moon
October’s full moon, full on Monday 26 October 2026 at 4:12am GMT. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
The collection
Is galaxy print good for home decor?
As wall art, yes. Galaxy imagery is mostly dark field with one bright focal point, which is exactly the composition that carries a large size without crowding a room.
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Looking up
What the Moon is doing, what a nebula and a constellation actually are, and whether the pictures are real.
On the wall
Moon Phase Prints, Honestly
A moon phase print works because it is a sequence: new moon to full and back, a shape the eye can follow and the sky can confirm. That is also why the bad ones are easy to spot - the order is wrong. Here is wha…
On the wall
On the wall
Size, finish and resolution. What a poster, a framed print and a canvas each do to the same picture.
Your own sky
Personalised Star Maps: What They Show & How to Choose the Moment
A personalised star map shows the real night sky over one place, on one date and time: the actual stars that stood above a birth, a wedding or a first meeting. Here's what one shows, why the date, time and plac…
Your own sky
Photo to Canvas: The Complete Guide
Turning a photo into a canvas print is simple once you know the sizes, the resolution you need, and what to look for. Here's the complete UK guide.
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Pink Moon: April’s full moon
April’s full moon, full on Thursday 2 April 2026 at 3:12am BST. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
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Planets in Order From the Sun
Eight planets, one order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Here is the sequence with real figures from NASA's planet pages - and an honest look at what the solar system would actua…
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Snow Moon: February’s full moon
February’s full moon, full on Sunday 1 February 2026 at 10:09pm GMT. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
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Star Names and the Constellations
The bright stars carry proper names - Betelgeuse, Rigel, Vega, Polaris - most of them arrived at through Arabic translations of much older Greek star catalogues, and all of them approved by the International As…
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Strawberry Moon: June’s full moon
June’s full moon, full on Tuesday 30 June 2026 at 12:57am BST. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
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Sturgeon Moon: August’s full moon
August’s full moon, full on Friday 28 August 2026 at 5:18am BST. The name is folk history rather than astronomy, and the date is the part worth getting right.
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The 8 Phases of the Moon, Explained
The Moon moves through eight phases in roughly 29.5 days: new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter and waning crescent. Here's what each one is, how long it lasts,…