BBC Sky at Night

Sky at Night magazine is your practical guide to astronomy. Each issue features the world’s biggest and best night sky guide complete with star charts, observing tutorials and in-depth equipment reviews to ensure that amateur astronomers never miss those must-see events.

Welcome • Get ready to enjoy the skies in the summer season

This month’s contributors

BIRTHDAY BEAUTY • Two contrasting nebulae are captured in an image to mark Hubble at 30

‘Planet’ actually rare cosmic collision • A reanalysis of Hubble images reveals an ‘exoplanet’ to be a cloud of dust

Comment

Earth-sized planet found in habitable zone • The planet was nearly ignored after being misclassified

Space industry fights COVID-19

NEWS IN BRIEF

Comet Borisov has high levels of carbon monoxide • The presence of the chemical suggests the comet hails from a much colder climate

NASA selects lunar lander developers • Three companies are designing their own version of the vehicle

Black hole nibbles on star

Crater counting correctly • After 40 years, scientists are re-evaluating how they date the ages of planetary surfaces

Finding the middle ground • Could astronomers have finally found the ‘missing link’ of black holes?

INSIDE THE SKY AT NIGHT • The Sky at Night’s executive producer Steve Crabtree reveals how they made the 800th episode of the show without anyone leaving home

Looking back: The Sky at Night • June 1977

The show must go on

INTERACTIVE

ON FACEBOOK

SCOPE DOCTOR

SOCIETY IN FOCUS

CORRECTIONS

Sky at Night

WHAT’S ONLINE

PICK OF THE MONTH

FIELD OF VIEW • Is there anyone out there?

Summer’s ghosts: NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS • These high altitude clouds on the edge of space are a delight for summer stargazers, says Stuart Atkinson

1. Find a suitable observing location: a clear view north is key

2. Use social media and the internet: it can help you predict NLC activity

3. Use binoculars: they’ll show subtle details and colours

4. Take photos with a phone camera: NLCs are bright enough

5. Use a DSLR camera: take beautiful long exposures

Under a STARLINK SKY • Megaconstellations of satellites could soon be lighting up the night sky. Ezzy Pearson looks at the impact on astronomy

No more star trails? • Astrophotographers could struggle with taking pictures of the night sky

A sky for everyone • The heavens are a global resource, where everyone has an investment

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS • Your guide to the night sky this month

NEED TO KNOW • The terms and symbols used in The Sky Guide

Family stargazing

THE BIG THREE • The three top sights to observe or image this month

THE PLANETS • Our celestial neighbourhood in June

THE NIGHT SKY – JUNE • Explore the celestial sphere with our Northern Hemisphere all-sky chart

MOONWATCH • June’s top lunar feature to observe

Mare Undarum

COMETS AND ASTEROIDS • Minor planet 7 Iris reaches opposition in Sagittarius at the month’s end

STAR OF THE MONTH • Alkalurops, a colourful pair of double stars

BINOCULAR TOUR • The wonderfully named star Zubenelgenubi takes the lead in our wide-field survey

THE SKY GUIDE CHALLENGE • Jupiter’s four Galilean moons are easy to spot, but how many others can you find?

DEEP-SKY TOUR • We explore the celestial highlights around the Keystone asterism in Hercules

AT A GLANCE • How the Sky Guide events will appear in June

DAYTIME ASTRONOMY • Just because the nights are getting short doesn’t mean you can’t stargaze. Paul Money looks at all the ways...