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 • Discover why the UK’s coast is so appealing for stargazing
HOW TO CONTACT US
Sky at Night – lots of ways to enjoy the night sky…
New to astronomy?
This month’s contributors
Extra content ONLINE
A STAR IS BORN AGAIN (BRIEFLY) • Rare planetary nebula Abell 78 glows as it reawakens as a so-called ‘born again’ star
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 • 18 May 1977
The Sky at Night MAY
INTERACTIVE • Emails – Letters – Tweets – Facebook – Instagram – Kit questions
Craters of the Moon
PHILIP’S • This month’s top prize: four Philip’s titles
SCOPE DOCTOR • Our equipment specialist cures your optical ailments and technical maladies With Steve Richards
Sky at Night
WHAT’S ONLINE • We pick the best astronomy events and resources available online this month
CBeebies Stargazing: Space Explorers • A Solar System adventure mini-series for the very young
A wild night out under the stars • Steve Brown enjoys his encounters with wildlife during astronomy sessions
A NIGHT ON THE COAST • Will Gater explores what the UK’s many miles of coastline have to offer astronomers and astrophotographers looking for new perspectives
Interview: Susan Pilcher • An astrophotographer based at Romney Marsh in Kent offers her thoughts about imaging at night along the UK coastline
Seaside sights • Four of our favourite celestial sights to look out for when taking in the sea air at the coast
Like sugar on black velvet: OBSERVING GLOBULAR CLUSTERS • Spring is a great time to view these packed knots of stars. Globular fan Ron Brecher tells us how to track down the best examples now, and in later seasons
Seven steps to a HABITABLE PLANET • In the search for exoplanets capable of supporting life, astronomers could be helped by looking for seven key features, reports Govert Schilling
CATCH AN ECLIPSE OF JUPITER’S MOONS • Observe Ganymede’s shadow as it partially eclipses Io
MAY 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 May
JUPITER’S MOONS: MAY
THE NIGHT SKY – MAY • Explore the celestial sphere with our Northern Hemisphere all-sky chart
MOONWATCH • May’s top lunar feature to observe
COMETS AND ASTEROIDS • View asteroid 230 Athamantis reaching opposition as it passes into Libra
STAR OF THE MONTH • Cebalrai, at the northeast of Ophiuchus
BINOCULAR TOUR • Our wide-field gems include objects near the Keystone asterism and Northern Crown
THE SKY GUIDE CHALLENGE • Can you spot Mercury with a telescope and log an observation of its phase?
DEEP-SKY TOUR • We explore the border region between the constellations of Cygnus and Cepheus
AT A GLANCE • How the Sky Guide events will appear in May
A beginner’s guide to DSLR cameras • DSLRs offer a simple yet effective way of capturing the night sky. Charlotte Daniels reveals the settings to use to get the...