Practical astronomy
Patrick Moore's top 10 winter astronomy sights
A tour of spectacular deep-sky objects with the late Sir Patrick Moore’s pick of his personal favourites.
How to make a binocular mirror mount
Keep your binoculars steady with a mount that faces down to look up
How to use a planisphere
Even in the digital age, the planisphere is an invaluable aid to getting your bearings in the night sky.
Averted vision: how to get a better view of night-sky objects
Averted vision enables the observer to see faint celestial objects with more clarity. With a bit of patience you'll see distant objects much clearer.
What to take on a Highlands astronomy adventure
Scotland’s dark sky sites are some of the best places in Europe to stargaze. Our equipment guide will help you make the most out of an astronomy camping trip
Getting the best out of old astronomy equipment
The summer is a great opportunity to get out our old astronomical telescopes and cameras and see what needs refurbishing.
Astronomy in the wake of Black Lives Matter
Following the Black Lives Matter movement, we've taken a look at what the space industry is doing to help BAME astronomers and scientists.
The jet stream explained
Predicting the position of the jet stream can be the difference between catching spectacular astronomical sights, or being treated to little more than a distant blur.
Day Eight – Back Garden Astronomy Week: The Moon
Listen to the latest podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Day Seven – Back Garden Astronomy Week: The Moon
Listen to the latest podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Day Six – Back Garden Astronomy Week: The Moon
Listen to the latest podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Day Five – Back Garden Astronomy Week: The Moon
Listen to the latest podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Day Four – Back Garden Astronomy Week: The Moon
Listen to the latest podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Day Three – Back Garden Astronomy Week: The Moon
Listen to the latest podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Day Two – Back Garden Astronomy Week: The Moon
Listen to the latest podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Day One – Back Garden Astronomy Week: The Moon
Listen to the latest podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Transit of Mercury 2019 Livestream
Watch the November 11 2019 Mercury Transit live as it happens
How Patrick Moore mapped the Moon
In the first issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine, the late Sir Patrick Moore described his early fascination with the Moon and how, faced with a lack of data, he decided to jolly well map it for himself.
Patrick Moore's top 5 autumn galaxies
In one of Patrick Moore's columns for BBC Sky at Night Magazine, the late astronomer and broadcaster reveals his favourite galaxies to spot in autumn's night skies.
African astronomy: where to stargaze on the continent
With some of the best ‘astro-farms’ and stargazing hotels, some under southern hemisphere night skies, Africa is fast becoming an intriguing dark-sky destination for astronomers.
How to photograph the night sky
Have you ever wanted to photograph the night sky? Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Tom Kerss reveals his top astrophotography tips. As told to Lorin R Robinson.
Optical aberrations: how to fix errors in your telescope
Learn how to identify the errors that can occur in your telescope’s optics.
A guide to celestial coordinates
There’s more than one way to locate a star, but you only really need to know two
Build a low-cost wooden tripod
Build our low-cost wooden telescope tripod as a non-permanent alternative to a solid pier or home observatory.