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 for this year’s awe-inspiring aurora season!

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

This month’s contributors

Extra content ONLINE

MAGNETIC MAYHEM • An amazing new far-infrared perspective reveals the chaos in the Whirlpool Galaxy

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 • Astronomer Royal Martin Rees looks at how humanity’s search for life beyond Earth might change in the coming years

Looking back: The Sky at Night

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

Horsehead hunt

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

BBC Sky at Night MAGAZINE

WHAT’S ONLINE • We pick the best live and virtual astronomy events and resources this month

The Interplanetary Podcast • Upbeat podcast on all things astronomy, cosmology and space exploration

FIELD OF VIEW • The amateur astronomer’s forum

Chasing the AURORA • As aurora season approaches, expert Tom Kerss reveals the science behind one of nature’s most spectacular sights and how to see it for yourself

Forecasting the aurora • How do scientists predict when and where the Northern Lights will appear?

How to see the aurora • Top tips on how to spot a spectacular auroral display for yourself

Homeward bound from BENNU • As the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft prepares to start its long trip back to Earth, Will Gater recounts the thrilling inside story of the mission’s, asteroid sampling and what its captured cargo of space rocks could tell us

A swift sampling • Three key moments of OSIRIS-REx’s sampling procedure, as seen by two different black and white cameras mounted on the NASA spacecraft

Asteroid adventurers • OSIRIS-REx is just one of several current and future missions tasked with exploring the small, irregularly shaped bodies of our Solar System

VIEW MARS NEAR THE PLEIADES • Catch the Red Planet’s close encounter with the beautiful star cluster

MARCH HIGHLIGHTS • Your guide to the night sky this month

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 March

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

MOONWATCH • March’s top lunar feature to observe

COMETS AND ASTEROIDS • Catch asteroid 4 Vesta as it reaches opposition in the constellation of Leo

STAR OF THE MONTH • Nekkar, the northern marker of Boötes

BINOCULAR TOUR • Our wide-field picks include open cluster M67, which hosts stars that resemble our Sun

THE SKY GUIDE CHALLENGE • Find a dark-sky location and try and spot asteroid 4 Vesta with the naked eye

DEEP-SKY TOUR • Our exploration of galaxies in the constellation of Leo, the Lion includes M96 Group members

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

Finding VESTA • Asteroid 4 Vesta may hold clues about the early Solar System, but its discovery is just as intriguing. Emily Winterburn uncovers the Celestial Police, an elite group of planet-hunting...