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astronomy

How the James Webb telescope will rewrite the story of the universe

Space

How the James Webb telescope will rewrite the story of the universe

The most anticipated space telescope ever is about to launch. It will give us a clear picture of the first stars and reveal the atmospheres of exoplanets too – if it unfolds without a hitch

Features

Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī

People in Science

Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī

Dwarf planet Ceres is shown in these false-color renderings, which highlight differences in surface materials.

Space

Now is the perfect time to see dwarf planet Ceres for yourself

Regulars

Earth-like exoplanet

Space

US astronomers plan $11 billion telescope to picture another Earth

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Satellites and junk are littering space and ruining our night skies

Space

Satellites and junk are littering space and ruining our night skies

Features

This is the Belt of Orion with its three blue stars across the top of the frame (L to R: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka), with the iconic Horsehead Nebula (aka B33) below Alnitak, with the dark Horsehead set against the bright nebula IC 434, aka Orion???s Dagger. The pinkish nebula above Alnitak is NGC 2024, the Flame Nebula. The small blue reflection nebula left of the Horsehead is NGC 2023, with smaller IC 435 to the left of it. The field is filled with the large open cluster Collinder 70. The multiple star at bottom left of centre is Sigma Orionis. Many other smaller bits of reflection nebulas populate the field in and around the Belt. This is a blend of 8 x 5-minute exposures at ISO 800 unfiltered with 6 x 10-minute exposures at ISO 1600 shot through an Optolong L-Enhance dual-band nebula enhancement filter (it lets through only Oxygen III blue-green and Hydrogen-alpha red to really enhance the nebulosity). The filtered shot is blended in with the unfiltered shot to retain the best of both worlds: the rich reds captured by the filtered images without losing the range of colours in the other nebulas such as the salmon pinks of the Flame and the blue reflection nebulas and stars. All exposures with the Canon EOS Ra mirrorless camera through the SharpStar HNT150 Hyperbolic Newtonian Astrograph at f/2.8, from home on a very clear moonless night January 27, 2020. All stacked, aligned and blended in Photoshop 2020. (Photo by: Alan Dyer/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Space

How to use Orion to find Canis Major and Canis Minor

Regulars

Our closest stellar neighbour: Proxima Centauri

Space

Promising radio signal isn’t aliens, just human-generated interference

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starry night sky

Space

Astronomers left puzzled by the dimmest supernova ever seen

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Meteor shower

Space

Arid meteor shower makes new appearance in southern hemisphere skies

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Stars imaged by the DECam Plane Survey TIC 400799224 is identified in the crosshairs.

Space

Weird shape-shifting clouds of dust seem to be orbiting a distant star

The light from a distant star appears to be orbited by something that is continually changing shape and size, possibly clouds of dust from repeated collisions

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Space

Something strange is sending radio waves from the centre of the galaxy

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Space

How to use the Cassiopeia constellation to spot Andromeda and Pegasus

Regulars

Space

Weird hybrid meteorite may be evidence of a chaotic early solar system

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Video

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021

Video

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