BBC Sky at Night Magazine - February 2025

In this issue

A Universe Without Gravity - How nature's weakest force does far more than keep our feet on the ground.

What Sci-Fi Movies Get Wrong About Space.

Mystery over life's 'handedness' grows

No one knows why the building blocks of life all point the same way

2 mins

Cosmic crashes create enormous ellipticals

Flows of cold gas from merging galaxies trigger a burst of star formation

1 min

A young Milky Way sparkles

The far-distant galaxy reveals what our own might have looked like as it was forming

1 min

Putting cosmic rays to work

These penetrating interstellar particles have applications from astronomy to archaeology

2 mins

INSIDE THE SKY AT NIGHT

Back in September 2021, The Sky at Night show spoke to Carly Howett about NASA's then upcoming Lucy mission. As the spacecraft now approaches its main targets - the Trojan asteroids - we check in with her to see how the mission is going

2 mins

Seeing in a new light

It's National Astronomy Week this month, so take a tip from Mark Westmoquette and let mindful stargazing change your perspective on your life and problems

2 mins

The science of SCI-FI

We love a good sci-fi film, but do they get the science right? Amy Arthur picks six of the big mistakes made in space films

7 mins

The Universe without gravity

Life with no gravity might sound a fun idea, but as Govert Schilling explains, shutting off this pivotalforce would spell disaster for Earth and beyond

7 mins

Astronomy X Photographer of the Year

The world-leading astrophotography competition is back! Could yours be this year's best astronomy image?

2 mins

What to do if you find a meteorite

Ever come across an unusual rock and wondered if it's a meteorite? Mark McIntyre explains how to tell if that stone really is a fragment from outer space

8 mins

AIin astrophotography: friend or foe?

It makes processing a breeze, but creates very convincing fakes too. Pete Lawrence looks at how AI is changing astro imaging

8 mins

Spectroscopy

How we learn about stars, nebulae and planets by splitting and analysing their light

3 mins

Set up your first imaging sequence

How to automate and coordinate your gear over multiple nights of imaging

3 mins

How to blend images taken with different camera setups

Combine data captured at varied focal lengths to create rich, deep images

3 mins

GEAR

Charlotte Daniels rounds up the latest astronomical accessories

1 min

Q&A WITH A STELLAR ECLIPSE SPECIALIST

Many stars are gravitationally locked inside multi-star systems, but a rare new triple-star system has set a new record for how cosy these clusters can get

3 mins

Read all stories from BBC Sky at Night Magazine

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.