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 • Celebrate the dark nights with us under the stars!

HOW TO CONTACT US

Sky at Night – lots of ways to enjoy the night sky…

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This month’s contributors

Extra content ONLINE

SECRET IN THE SHADOWS • Luminous rays and dark shadows paint a cosmic chiaroscuro

BULLETIN • The latest astronomy and space news, written by Ezzy Pearson

Comment

NEWS IN BRIEF

CUTTING EDGE • Our experts examine the hottest new research

INSIDE THE SKY AT NIGHT • The Sky at Night TV show, past, present and future

Looking back: The Sky at Night • 15 January 1989

The Sky at Night JANUARY

INTERACTIVE • Emails – Letters – Tweets – Facebook – Instagram – Kit questions

Catching the Moon’s libration

PHILIP’S • This month’s top prize: four Philip’s titles

SCOPE DOCTOR • Our equipment specialist cures your optical ailments and technical maladies

BBC Sky at Night MAGAZINE

WHAT’S ONLINE • We pick the best astronomy events and resources available online this month

British Astronomical Association • Deepen your astronomy knowledge in 2021

FIELD OF VIEW • The amateur astronomer’s forum

SPACE IN 2021 • Next year will see more people heading into space than ever before and three different missions arriving at Mars. Ben Evans looks into why 2021 is shaping up to be a great year in space

Timeline • With dozens of missions set to reach a milestone, 2021 is going to be a busy year

Christmas night STARGAZING • Did Santa deliver a new telescope for Christmas? Stuart Atkinson gives some ideas about what to see with it when you take it out for the first time

NEED TO KNOW

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

USING A STAR CHART

NIGHT SKY SMARTPHONE APPS

DARK ADAPTED VISION

EVENING PLANETS • Before they disappear behind the Sun, enjoy Jupiter and Saturn’s dramatic line-up with Mercury

JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS • Your guide to the night sky this month

Family stargazing

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

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

THE PLANETS • Our celestial neighbourhood in January

Mars

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

MOONWATCH • January’s top lunar feature to observe

COMETS AND ASTEROIDS • View asteroid 14 Irene as it reaches opposition in the constellation of Auriga

STAR OF THE MONTH • Spot Capella, a quadruple star system

BINOCULAR TOUR • The easy to spot Hyades and tricky M78 are among January’s wide-field targets

THE SKY GUIDE CHALLENGE • Can you see the Horsehead Nebula, an infamously tricky dark nebula?

DEEP-SKY TOUR • We begin explore the celestial treasures in the constellation of Puppis, the Poop Deck

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

APOLLO 14 • With support for the Apollo programme waning, NASA stepped up its scientific endeavours for Apollo 14, as Ezzy Pearson reports

MISSION BRIEF

Meet the astronauts

MISSION TIMELINE

PICKING UP A BARGAIN: a guide to buying second-hand kit • Using pre-owned equipment is a great way to get into astronomy and stay on budget. Charlotte Daniels takes us through the dos and don’ts of buying used gear

Top tips •...