Welcome to BBC Sky at Night Magazine - BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Stuart Atkinson captured this image of Comet Leonard at around 04:30 UTC on the morning of 2 December from Kendal, Cumbria, UK using a Canon 700D DSLR and an iOptron Sky Tracker tracking mount.

Comet A1 Leonard See it in the night sky

Astronomers you should know Johannes Kepler

Star of Bethlehem: did it really exist?

A Geminid meteor streaks across the night sky over Saltburn-by-the-Sea, UK, 14 December 2018. Credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images.

Geminids 2021 Catch the year's best meteor shower

Jupiter, Saturn and Venus as they will appear from the UK at 17:00 UTC on 28 December 2021. Take care when observing planets close to sunset: make sure the Sun has truly set. Credit: Stellarium

Observing Take in a Christmas planetary parade

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 2022

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

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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.

Vixen Polarie U Star Tracker review

Telescope mounts

Vixen Polarie U Star Tracker review

£577.50 Price correct at time of review

Altair 8-inch F4 Photo Newtonian Telescope review

Altair 8-inch F4 Photo Newtonian Telescope review

£540 Price correct at time of review

Sony A9 mirrorless camera review

Sony A9 mirrorless camera review

£3399 Price correct at time of review

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

Read more equipment reviews

Podcasts

NASA astronaut Nicole Stott

Radio Astronomy Podcast Interview with NASA astronaut Nicole Stott

BBC Sky at Night Magazine Star Diary podcast.

Star Diary Podcast

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

Dart Mission

Radio Astronomy Podcast NASA's asteroid deflector, DART

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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

Star trails over a tree

Astrophotography

Astrophotography Masterclass Learn how to image the night sky with a DSLR

How to use a histogram

Astrophotography guides

How to use a histogram in photography

Which camera is best for astrophotography? Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

Astrophotography Cameras 2021: which are the best?

The Golden Ring Shuchang Dong

Astrophotography

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021 Winners announced

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

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

Artist's illustration of an astronaut in Earth orbit dropping a bag of tools

6 mishaps in the history of spaceflight

An illustration showing the proposed StarTram. Credit: NASA

7 spaceflight inventions that never took off

Astronaut Nora AlMatrooshi at press conference

Radio Astronomy Podcast Interview with astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi

An artist's impression showing the Lucy spacecraft flying by a Trojan Asteroid near Jupiter.

Lucy: The Mission to explore the Trojan Asteroids

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

Make a telescope mount counterbalance system

DIY Astronomy Make a counterbalance system

Make planetarium projector

DIY Astronomy Make a planetarium projector

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How to observe variable stars

More DIY astronomy projects