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Astrophotography

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021 Winners announced

Astronomy explained How to find the North Star

Women astronauts who changed spaceflight forever

Harmony © Stefan Liebermann (Germany) Valensole, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France, 22 June 2020. Equipment: Sony ILCE-7M3 camera, Fornax Mounts LighTrack II mount, 16 mm f/2.8 lens. Foreground: ISO 2500, 15 x 0.8-second exposures. Sky: ISO 2000, 5 x 120-second exposures

Astrophotography

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 13 See the shortlisted images

Keeper of the Light James Stone, Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia, 21 July 2017. Equipment: Nikon D750 camera, 15 mm lens. (IIAPY 2018 category: People & Space).

Astrophotography

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Best Aussie astrophotos

What's new?

New to astronomy?

Our simple guides will help you make the most of your time under the stars

What to see in the night sky in 2021. Credit: Christianto Soning / EyeEm / Getty Images

Stargazing 2021 What to see in the night sky this year

Friends stargazing. Credit: EvgeniyShkolenko / Getty

Observing guide How to see the planets in 2021

The Moon may always keep the same face turned to us, but the terminator makes sure that face keeps changing. Image Credit: iStock

Why does the Moon have phases?

Man looking at the stars with telescope beside him. Credit: iStock

How to choose your first telescope

More beginners' guides

Astronomy explained

Answers to some of the most commonly-asked cosmic questions

This composite image of the moon using Clementine data from 1994 is the view we are most likely to see when the moon is full. Image Credit: NASA

Astronomy explained Why do we always see the same side of the Moon?

dark-matter-map-hubble-main_0

What is dark matter?

Star Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Astronomy explained What is the brightest star?

Globular cluster NGC 3201, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. What makes stars twinkle? Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA. Acknowledgement: Sarajedini et al.

Astronomy explained Why do stars twinkle?

Buyers' guides

Our pick of the best astronomy equipment

Best telescope mounts

Best telescope mounts

Celestron Omni XLT AZ 102 Refractor/basic mount

Best beginners' telescopes

Explore Scientific professional weather centre

Top astronomy accessories

The best telescopes for kids and young astronomers. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Best telescopes for kids

Binoculars are a great way for newcomers to get into astronomy. Credit: lucentius / Getty Images

Best binoculars for astronomy

Best portable telescopes for astronomy travel. Credit: Anton Petrus / Getty Images

Top travel telescopes

More buyers' guides

Save when you subscribe today!

Astronomy guides

Celestron Omni XLT AZ 102 Refractor/basic mount

Astronomy FAQs I'm buying my first telescope. Should I get a reflector or a refractor?

Asterisms (shown in red) can cross constellations, which are in fact regions of sky, not just the main patterns. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Constellations and asterisms: what’s the difference?

Sundogs. Credit: Science Photo Library

Daytime astronomy 6 phenomena to spot before nightfall

Get to a good, dark location away from light pollution and you will see so many more stars. Credit: Carlos Fernandez

12 top tips for stargazing

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Astronomy equipment reviews

The latest telescopes, cameras, binoculars, mounts and accessories tried and tested.

Founder Optics FOT106 triplet refractor review

Founder Optics FOT106 triplet refractor review

£2159 Price correct at time of review

Unistellar eVscope eQuinox telescope review.

Unistellar eVscope eQuinox

£2599 Price correct at time of review

Serif Affinity Photo image-processing software

Serif Affinity Photo image-processing software

£48.99 Price correct at time of review

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 6-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 6-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain

£699 Price correct at time of review

Altair Starwave ASCENT 115 F7 ED triplet refractor telescope review

Altair Starwave ASCENT 115 F7 ED triplet refractor review

£1199 Price correct at time of review

Canon EOS R6 DSLR camera

Canon EOS R6 mirrorless camera review

£2599.99 Price correct at time of review

Read more equipment reviews

Podcasts

Perseverance

Radio Astronomy Podcast Perseverance, 200 sols on Mars

BBC Sky at Night Magazine Star Diary podcast.

Star Diary Podcast

Star Diary Podcast What's in the night sky, September 2021

Astrophysicist Carole Mundell pictured in front of the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory

Radio Astronomy Podcast The largest radio telescope in the world

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Astrophotography

Guides and galleries to help you get imaging the night sky

Credit: abriendomundo / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Astrophotography

Astrophotography All you need to know to image the night sky

Kynance Cove under the Milky Way Louise Jones (UK). Category: The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer. Equipment Nikon D7100 camera, Sigma 10-20 mm lens at 10 mm f/3.5, ISO 3200, 5 x 25-second exposures.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 13 Watch the awards online tonight

Atmospheric dispersion corrector

Astrophotography

Astronomy explained What is an atmospheric dispersion corrector?

Panstarrs sets over Devon Hills by Ken Funnell, Bishops Tawton, Devon. Equipment: Canon EOS350D, Tamron 28-300mm lens

Gallery Comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS

Comet ISON by Simon Wilson, Bakewell, UK. Equipment: Takahashi FSQ85, Atik 460ex, Skywatcher NEQ6 pro mount

Gallery Comet C/2012 S1 ISON

Comet PanSTARRS Approaches Earth by José J. Chambó, Siding Spring, NSW, Australia. Equipment: Takahashi FSQ ED 106mm f/5.0, SBIG STL-11000M

Gallery Comet C/2013 X1 PANSTARRS

Astrophotography galleries

North America and the Pacific can be seen clearly in this view of Earth captured during Apollo 10, 18 May 1969. Credit: NASA / restored by Toby Ord

Gallery Apollo photos of Earth from space

M20 Triffid by Dee Amos, Taken at Kitt Peak. Equipment: Kitt Peak's visitor centre's 16

Gallery Trifid Nebula

M57 Credit: André van der Hoeven, Terry Hancock, Fred Herrmann, Mike van den Berg and Mathijn Ippel, The Netherlands/USA.

Gallery Ring Nebula

Elephant's Trunk Nebula by Duan Yusef, Essex, UK.

Gallery Elephant's Trunk Nebula

NGC 281: The Pacman Nebula by Mike Garbett, Walsall, West Midlands, UK.

Gallery Pacman Nebula

M27 In another way... by Andre van der Hoeven, HI-Ambacht, The Netherlands.

Gallery Dumbbell Nebula

Spaceflight

Celebrating the latest missions and the history of humanity's journey into space

Jupiter's belts and zones are what give the gas giant its stripy appearance. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

Radio Astronomy Podcast Jupiter Special

An artist's depiction of the Juno spacecraft in orbit above Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter

Artist's impression of the UAE Hope Probe at Mars. Credit: UAE Space Agency

How is the UAE Hope Probe exploring Mars?

Apollo 15 astronauts Jim Iwrin and David Scott deploy the first Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon. Credit: NASA

Radio Astronomy Podcast 50 years since Apollo 15

Buzz Aldrin pictured on the surface of the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Credit: NASA

Apollo 11 the journey to land on the Moon

Carey Lisse, an instrument scientist on the New Horizons science team reacts after the team received confirmation from the spacecraft that it has completed the flyby of Pluto, Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Interview New Horizons' Kuiper Belt encounter

Dr Abigail Fraeman, deputy project scientist of the Opportunity rover mission, pictured with a model of NASA's Curiosity rover. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Roving robots on Mars: interview with a NASA Opportunity scientist

Artist's impression of the Kepler space telescope Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Wendy Stenzel

How the Kepler space telescope came to be

DIY astronomy

Read our practical guides to get the most out of your observing sessions

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How to observe variable stars

Complete our science project to make a 3D model showing the nearest stars to the Solar System. Credit: Mary McIntyre

Make a 3D model of our nearest stars

How to make a scale model of the Solar System

DIY Astronomy Make a Solar System model

More DIY astronomy projects