Japan heads to the Moon

Hakuto-R, a commercial lunar lander from Japanese company iSpace, launched on 11 December and entered lunar orbit three days later.

Early galaxies lack cold hydrogen glow

A missing radio signal narrows down theories about infant galaxies

Splashdown for Artemis

The Orion capsule successfully splashed down into the Pacific Ocean on 11 December at 9:40 am PST Pacific Standard Time), completing Artemis the first test flight in a programme to return humans to the Moon's surface.

Are extended cycles shaping sunspots?

Twin 17-year solar cycles could be controlling the Sun's activity

Previously unknown minerals identified in meteorite

The discovery could help geologists to uncover conditions deep inside growing planets

Concern grows over bright satellites

Astronomers have called for more protections of our night sky

STAR RING ROLE

Towards the centre of a spiral galaxy, a ring of stars circles a black hole, VERY LARGE TELESCOPE, 23 NOVEMBER 2022

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY

A huge solar prominence

Artemis I takes aim at the Moon

Efforts to get the test mission off the ground hit last-minute snags

THE CARTWHEEL IN SPACE

Another stunning image from the largest space telescope ever launched shows just what this new observatory can do

Betelgeuse's spectacular blow-out

A mass ejection larger than the Moon caused the star's dimming in 2019

Astronomy X Photographer of the Year

BBC Sky at Night Magazine is proud to reveal the 2022 winners of the world's biggest astrophotography contest.

Our experts examine the hottest new research CUTTING EDGE

Tide lines show Moon's move

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

In September's episode of The Sky at Night, Jen Gupta looked at how ever more stunning astronomical photos have revolutionised our understanding of the cosmos

The amateur astronomer's forum FIELD OF VIEW

Cashing in on the cosmos

MARS SEASON HAS ARRIVED

With Mars at opposition this December - and a rare lunar occultation expected too - now's the time to start observing and tracking its changing features, writes Paul G Abel

ARTEMIS BEGINS

As Artemis I takes the first step in NASA's plan to return humans to the Moon, Shaoni Bhattacharya talks to the people behind the wider series of missions

The fundamentals of astronomy for beginners EXPLAINER

Félicette, the cat that flew to space

Practical astronomy projects for every level of expertise DIY ASTRONOMY

Create a 24-hour polar star trail photo

Expert processing tips to enhance your astrophotos ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY PROCESSING

Subtract stars to get more from deep-sky data

CUTTING EDGE

Our experts examine the hottest new research

FIELD OF VIEW

The amateur astronomer's forum

JWST begins its SCIENCE JOURNEY

As we gaze astonished at the James Webb Space Telescope’s first science images, Colin Stuart takes a look at the questions it will answer over its decade-long voyage of astronomical discovery

Glorious GLOBULARS

From fuzzy blobs to star cities, Paul Money takes us on a tour of 15 of the best globular clusters to observe in this season's night skies

Prepare for the PLANET PARADE

Five planets and an asteroid will be putting on a show this month. Stuart Atkinson shows us where and when to catch the spectacle

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY CAPTURE

Take the perfect astrophoto with our step-by-step guide

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY PROCESSING

Expert processing tips to enhance your astrophotos

DIY ASTRONOMY

Practical astronomy projects for every level of expertise

EXPLAINER - The fundamentals of astronomy for beginners

Ezzy Pearson celebrates the 30th anniversary of the first Black woman flying in space

Q&A WITH THE CEO OF INMARSAT - Melissa Brobby interviews Rajeev Suri

A landmark study has found that, in contrast to the Apollo generation, younger people are out of touch with the realities of the space industry