Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 | See the shortlisted images
Webb discovers record-breaking exploded stars that existed when the Universe was in its infancy
60 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water frost discovered on top of Mars's equatorial volcanoes
The smart telescope revolution | Transforming astronomy
Planets | See Mars and Jupiter throughout July 2024
Mars and Jupiter steal the show as the planets start to improve this month.
Jupiter returns to the morning sky this month. Look out for meetings with the Moon, Mars and Uranus
C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS | The next great comet? Here's how to locate and observe it in the night sky
Cosmic rays explained
A primer on cosmic rays, the high-energy particles that bombard Earth from space.
Astronomers see black hole's plunge region for first time
Webb has found key ingredient for life in a young galaxy in the early Universe
BBC Sky at Night Magazine virtual events
Imaging the Planets Masterclass Series
Our spring 2024 series lifts the lid on photographing the planets, with three of the best planetary imagers in the game.
Save 20% when you buy all three as a series booking
Masterclass: The planets in their prime
Join our Masterclass with Pete Lawrence, expert astro imager and presenter on BBC Four’s The Sky at Night at 7pm on 25 April 2024.
Save 20% when you buy all three as a series booking
Masterclass: Capturing Jupiter on camera
Join our online spring Masterclass with Damian Peach, world-renowned astrophotographer and lecturer at 7pm on 23 May 2024.
Save 20% when you buy all three as a series booking
Masterclass: 10 ways to improve your imaging
Join our online spring Masterclass with award-winning planetary imager Martin Lewis at 7pm on 13 June 2024.
Save 20% when you buy all three as a series booking
New to astronomy?
Our simple guides will help you make the most of your time under the stars
14 things new stargazers should know
New to astronomy? Here are some things you'll notice in the night sky as you spend your first year stargazing.
How to become a better astronomer
You've spent many hours observing the night sky. So how can you improve and be more productive at the telescope eyepiece?
How to stargaze from a city
Light pollution from towns and cities makes viewing the night sky a tricky business. But there are things you can do to help.
How to star-hop the night sky
Stuck trying to find stars? Star-hopping is a tried and tested technique that will help you to navigate the sky.
Astronomy advice
Answers to some of the most commonly-asked cosmic questions
Why did it take so long for astronomers to discover Uranus?
Why was Uranus not known to ancient astronomers?
How many stars can a person see in the night sky?
When we look up at the night sky, how many stars can we see, and what magnitude can the human eye see unaided?
What came before the Big Bang? These are the best theories we have about the origin of the cosmos
We explore the theories about one of the most mind-boggling questions about the Universe.
Why the Moon sometimes looks orange
What causes the Moon to appear a red, rusty colour?
Buyers' guides
Our pick of the best astronomy equipment
Best telescope mounts
On the hunt for a new telescope mount, or picking one to go with your first telescope? Read our guide to the best mounts, both budget models and high-end.
Best binoculars for astronomy
Binoculars are a great way of getting into astronomy and stargazing.
Buyer's guide | Best astro imaging cameras
Which cameras are best for astrophotography and what type should you buy? We'll guide you through the different types and the best cameras on the market.
Best beginners' telescopes
Looking to buy your first telescope but don't know where to start? We've picked out some of the best beginner telescopes on the market.
8 of the best wi-fi and smartphone telescopes
Our pick of the best telescopes operated via a smartphone or tablet.
Best telescopes for kids
Buying a telescope for children can be a tricky task. We've tested some of the best telescopes for kids and young people getting started in astronomy.
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Astronomy equipment reviews
The latest telescopes, cameras, binoculars, mounts and accessories tried and tested.
Unistellar's newest smart telescope is here. But how does the Odyssey Pro fare, and is it worth the price?
From planets to galaxies, this foolproof all-in-one captures them all – for a price.
Celestron's popular SkyMaster Pro binoculars have been given an upgrade. We tested them to see how they perform
This popular big-magnification pair gets even better with a lens upgrade.
Bigger and better? We tested the upgraded Vaonis Vespera II smart telescope to see how it performs
This enjoyable, beginner-friendly option now has a bigger sensor for better images.
Vixen overhauls its classic large refractor in the SD103SII. We tested its observing and astro-imaging potential
Sky-Watcher's new Wi-Fi-controlled mount is beefy, smartphone-enabled and can be used anywhere in the world
Altair's new Planeta 101mm refractor boasts a modest price. But how did it fare with the Moon and Jupiter?
The awe-inspiring vistas from this solid all-rounder belie its moderate price.
Podcasts
Star Diary | 24 to 30 July, 2023
Keep an eye out for the three innermost planets Mercury, Venus and Mars just after sunset in this week’s stargazing guide.
Star Diary | 17 to 23 July, 2023
Venus's changing phases and Pluto at opposition are the highlights of this week's stargazing guide.
Star Diary | 10 to 16 July, 2023
The Pleiades return to the morning sky, while the Moon pairs up with Jupiter in this week’s stargazing guide.
Astrophotography
How to point your smartphone through your telescope and capture incredible images of the night sky
How to photograph a display of night-shining noctilucent clouds with a smartphone
Coax your phone’s camera into low-light mode and catch ethereal noctilucent clouds.
Observing guide | Can you find Pluto in the night sky?
See if you can spot dwarf planet Pluto by photographing the night sky.
Gallery | The Crab Nebula
Images of Messier 1, the Crab Nebula, facts about this glowing cosmic cloud and the history of its observation by Chinese and European astronomers.
Buyer's guide | Best telescopes for astrophotography
How to choose a telescope for photographing the night sky, and some of the best models available.
Altair's Hypercam 585C colour camera captures deep-sky, planets and the Moon, and all for under £500
From nebulae to the Moon, this jack-of-all-trades does it all for under £500.
Astrophotography galleries
Gallery | Leo Triplet
The three galaxies that make up the Leo Triplet, M66, M65 and NGC 3628, are engaged in a gravitational tug of war, making this a fascinating deep-sky spectacle.
Gallery | Heart and Soul Nebulae
Images of the Heart and Soul Nebulae and facts about these two star-forming regions in Cassiopeia.
Eye On The Sky | Chandra X-ray images reveal the beauty of the cosmos
A set of newly-released images show incredible astronomical phenomena in light invisible to the naked eye.
Gallery | Full Moon
Some will tell you a full Moon is the worst time to observe our lunar neighbour, but there's still plenty to see when the Moon is fully illuminated.
Gallery | Bode's Galaxy and Cigar Galaxy
Images of M81 and M82, the pair of interacting galaxies known as Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy, including facts and the history of their discovery.
Gallery | Sunflower Galaxy
Facts about and images of M63, also known as the Sunflower Galaxy.
Spaceflight
How the Huygens probe landed on Saturn's largest moon Titan and captured video and images of its surface
in 2005, ESA’s probe gave us our first close look at Titan
Underground cave on the Moon near the Apollo 11 landing site could provide shelter for future astronauts
The Jupiter Juice spacecraft will fly by Earth and the Moon next month, and could be visible in the night sky
The ESA spacecraft will fly close to our planet on its way to Jupiter.
NASA's Space Shuttle: the history of the reusable spacecraft and its lasting legacy
NASA's Space Shuttle launched in 1981 and flew its final mission in 2011. Over three decades its 135 missions changed spaceflight forever.
Ramses | The mission to asteroid Apophis
What did the Venus Express mission discover at Venus?
Venus Express was the first European mission to study the inferior planet, launching in 2005 and arriving in orbit in April 2006. Here we reveal 10 discoveries made by the probe.
Buzz Aldrin has a striking vision for the long-term human exploration of Mars
He may be one of the most famous moonwalkers, but Buzz Aldrin has spent the past 30 years developing a plan to get people to Mars.
9 space stations of the future that will carry the baton once the International Space Station is deorbited
DIY Astronomy
Make an instrument that shows how astronomers measure vast distances in space
How to make an instrument that demonstrates how cosmic distances are measured.
Don't fog up! How to remove moisture from your astrophotography camera sealed sensor
How to recharge the sealed sensor chamber inside your astro camera.
The best, safest ways to view a solar eclipse, from low-cost, simple options to expert astronomer techniques
What are the best and safest ways to view an eclipse?