Stuart Atkinson
Astronomy writer
Stuart Atkinson is a lifelong amateur astronomer and an author of popular astronomy books.
Recent articles by Stuart Atkinson
Comet-chasers disappointed as Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN) falls apart on its journey around the Sun
Comet C/2025 F2 (SWAN) seems to be fading and may not be around long. Here's how to see it while you can
What Perseverance found at Jezero Crater, where it's going next
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was one of the astronomy highlights of 2024.
How to do astrophotography with a DSLR camera
Own a DSLR camera and want to capture the stars? Find out how in our guide to DSLR astrophotography.
What to observe on a full Moon? Lunar rays
Moon meets the planets, February 2025
Is there really water on Mars? If scientists keep discovering water on the Red Planet, where is it all?
See a planet parade on Christmas Night! Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are all visible in the sky
Christmas Astronomy | What's in the night sky on 25 December
Got a new telescope for Christmas? Here's what you can see in the night sky on 25 December 2023.
Winter stargazing
Fare well, Comet A3
Comet C/2023 A3 | Beginner's guide
Long-period comets
Strangest things in our Solar System
Is comet C/2023 A3 doomed?
Noctilucent clouds | What they are and how to see them
High altitude clouds on the edge of space, noctilucent clouds or NLCs are a delight for summer stargazers.
10 night-sky targets to spot in the beautiful Summer Triangle star patter
A list of the many deep-sky delights waiting to be discovered in one of summer’s most familiar star patterns.
Deep-sky tour | 6 galaxies to spot in the Leo constellation
Celebrate Leo's favourable position in our springtime night skies by getting out your telescope and taking our galactic tour of the constellation.
Track activity on the surface of the Sun with our guide on how to safely observe sunspots
Monitor the progress of sunspot activity on the surface of our host star.
On Friday night the sky danced, and we'll be talking about it for years to come. The great aurora of 10 May 2024
Follow the arc to Arcturus, an oft-overlooked star that's a gateway to some of the most exciting night-sky targets
I've been out photographing Comet C/2023 A3, which could be naked-eye come autumn. This is what I found
Stuart Atkinson has braved chilly April nights to capture images of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS).
A guide to Ursa Minor, the Little Dipper constellation that contains one of the most important stars in the sky
Ursa Major is the Little Dipper constellation that contains the North Star, Polaris.