BBC Sky at Night Magazine - May 2025

In this issue

Tianwen-2: Unravelling the secrets of asteroids How China’s new mission will sample not one but two asteroids 50 years of the European Space Agency The incredible feats and future plans of Europe’s space agency Are we alone? Four experts reveal how close we are to finding alien life

Killer supernovae devastated life on Earth - twice

Nearby star deaths may have caused two of our planet's mass extinctions

1 min

NASA fires chief scientist

The move could signal a shift from science to exploration

1 min

Study uncovers why the Red Planet is red

Mars may have taken on its rusty colour when oceans still covered the planet's surface

1 min

Earth welcomes 'stranded' space duo

The pair unexpectedly spent nine months longer than intended on the ISS

1 min

The star that won't stop exploding

Every four years, the white dwarf detonates in one of the most violent ways ever seen

1 min

Stargazing without stars

Even if clouds stop play, you can still make a cosmic connection, says Eva Adorisio

2 mins

Tianwen-2 - Unravelling the secrets of asteroids

China is set to mount the latest mission to retrieve a sample of an asteroid and bring it home. Stuart Atkinson investigates

5 mins

50 years of the European Space Agency

As Europe's organisation for space exploration marks five decades since its foundation in May 1975, Anita Chandran looks at key moments in its history

6 mins

How animals use the stars

The animal world is intricately entwined with the night sky. Naturalist Megan Shersby looks at some fascinating ways that animals take their cues from the cosmos

4 mins

Are we ALONE? We asked the experts

Four specialists in the hunt for extraterrestrial life tell Ezzy Pearson how they're hoping to find aliens

8 mins

The behind the stars star signs

An astronomer's journey through the real zodiac

6 mins

Stephen Hawking

Hawking's work revolutionised our ideas about how the Universe began

2 mins

A unique view of Baily's beads

This award-winning eclipse sequence reveals the Moon's rugged peaks

3 mins

Sky-Watcher Wave 100i mount and tripod

Want a whisper-quiet, lightweight and effortless mount? This could tempt you

4 mins

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BBC Sky at Night Magazine Description:

Complementing the much-loved BBC television programme, Sky at Night Magazine is your practical guide to astronomy. Each issue features columns by renowned experts such as Sir Patrick Moore as well as in-depth cosmological features, practical observing tutorials, comprehensive equipment reviews, astrophotography master classes and much, much more. And with easy-to follow star charts and expert advice on how to get the most out of the observing month, Sky at Night Magazine is essential reading for both the novice and experienced astronomer.