Satirical barbs
Two floors of political cartoons from the 1750s to the present day with rarely-seen sketches by Hogarth and Rowlandson alongside Spitting Image puppets. Until April 1, 11am-4.30pm, closed Monday. £1, free on Friday. Pump House People's History Museum, Bridge Street, Manchester (0161-839 6061).
Animals in focus
Last chance to see local entries in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, organised by BBC Wildlife magazine and the National History Museum. Until January 6, 10am-4.50pm, free. Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Rd, Bristol (0117 9223571).
Stars in your eyes
What does a galaxy look like? Could you tell the difference between Jupiter and Saturn? Find out at this stargazing event. Telescopes and expert knowledge by Southend Planetarium and Castle Point Astronomy Club. January 6, 7pm-9pm, free. Hadleigh Castle Country Park, Hadleigh, Essex (01277 216297).
Water world
If you missed it last year, here again is the annual exhibition of Turner's watercolours, including several works from his Scottish tours of 1797 and 1831. Until January 31, Mon- Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm, free. National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound, Edinburgh (0131-624 6200).
Art perspective
New chronological exhibition of British art in the 20th century, from Bloomsbury to the YBA. Tues-Sun, 10am-5.50pm, free. Tate Gallery, The Colonnades, Albert Dock, Liverpool (0151-702 7400).
Ancient lights
Romans gave lamps to each other as presents at the festival of Kalends. Learn how they were made and make your own working lamp to light your way into the new year. Jan 6,7, 11am-1pm and 2-4pm, £5/ £3. The Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London (020-7600 3699).
Freezing fun
The Cool Science show for kids examines why snowflakes are the shape they are, what happens to the human body if it freezes and exactly how cold dry ice, liquid nitrogen and absolute zero are, with lots of demonstrations and audience participation. January 6, 7, 12.15pm, 2.15pm, 3.15pm, £6/£4/£16.50. Techniquest, Stuart Street, Cardiff (029-2047 5475).
Telling time
A new exhibition looks at the relationship between time and painting. See how artists can depict movement in unchanging images, and you can use an eyetracking machine to explore your eye movements when you look at a picture. Until January 14, 10am-6pm, free. The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London (020-7747 2885).
