Spring in the great bear

1 NGC 697 Not to be unkind, but Aries isn’t generally regarded as a rich haven for amateur deep-sky jewels. However, we’re going to look hard and visit a light smattering of objects near the Aries–Pis

The Messier Catalogue is one of the most well-known collections of astronomical objects. Compiled in the 18th century by French astronomer and avid comet hunter Charles Messier as a quick reference of

Did you know? The nearest black hole is ...

When the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on Christmas Day 2021, astronomers hoped it would revolutionise our understanding of the early stages of the Universe. And they were right. Almost a

Star and deep-sky catalogues are crucial resources for making sense of the night sky. There are a lot of them, though – so many, in fact, that you almost need a catalogue of catalogues to keep track o

Planetary physicist Dr Sheila Kanani on why now is the time to spot shooting stars and a sunlit Saturn