Chris Cooke Astronomy

I am a professional astronomer with a passion for making the universe accessible and awe-inspiring for everyone. Based in Devon, I proudly serve as the Chairman of the Plymouth Astronomical Society.


Whether I'm guiding you through a starry night sky in a stargazing experience or bringing excitement to classrooms, festivals, and corporate events, my goal is to inspire curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the cosmos.


✨ With over 25 years of exploring the stars and sharing the beauty of space, I'm here to bring science and wonder down to Earth.


🌠 Join me on this cosmic journey as we look up, explore, and marvel together!

Contact Me

For general enquiries, please reach out via email or phone:

NASA Picture of the Day

Planets of the Solar System: Tilts and Spins - 2025-09-14

How does your favorite planet spin? Does it spin rapidly around a nearly vertical axis, or horizontally, or backwards? The featured video animates NASA images of all eight planets in our Solar System to show them spinning side-by-side for an easy comparison. In the time-lapse video, a day on Earth -- one Earth rotation -- takes just a few seconds. Jupiter rotates the fastest, while Venus spins not only the slowest (can you see it?), but backwards. The inner rocky planets across the top underwent dramatic spin-altering collisions during the early days of the Solar System. Why planets spin and tilt as they do remains a topic of research with much insight gained from modern computer modeling and the recent discovery and analysis of hundreds of exoplanets: planets orbiting other stars.