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

An image of the Sun that looks strikingly like a Halloween jack o lantern. This image was captured by NASA's SDO probe. Credit: NASA/SDO

Halloween Astronomy How to plan a spooky stargazing session

Orionids 2021 How to see this year's meteor shower

Radio Astronomy Podcast Volcanoes of the Solar System

An illustration showing two people observing through a telescope with fireworks bursting in the night sky

Stargazing on Bonfire Night

Kieron Vernon, Coventry, UK, 11 July 2020. Equipment: Sony a7III camera, Sigma 24-70mm lens, ISO 800, 20x6”.

Observing guide What comets and asteroids are in the sky tonight?

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

Advertisement

Astronomy equipment reviews

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

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

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

Read more equipment reviews

Podcasts

Astronaut Nora AlMatrooshi at press conference

Radio Astronomy Podcast Interview with astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi

Rosetta over comet 67P

Radio Astronomy Podcast Remembering Rosetta

BBC Sky at Night Magazine Star Diary podcast.

Star Diary Podcast

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

Advertisement

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

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?

Photographing the Moon through a telescope with a smartphone. Credit: m-gucci / Getty Images

Astrophotography

Webinar Sign up for our astro imaging masterclass

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

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

Lucy: The Mission to explore the Trojan Asteroids

Radio Astronomy Podcast An interview with Tim Peake

Astronauts Kathryn Sullivan and Sally Ride during the STS-41-G mission, October 1984. Credit: Space Frontiers / Stringer

Women astronauts who changed spaceflight forever

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

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

MAIN_23

How to observe variable stars

More DIY astronomy projects