Conquering the realm of the galaxies

Six low-altitude gems that barely peek above the horizon – all the more satisfying to catch! We’re going low for this month’s tour, looking at objects that are best seen when their region is above the

1. NGC 6940 10x 50 Let’s start the tour with open cluster NGC 6940, which deserves to be far better known. To find it, use the chart to identify mag. +4.2 52 Cygni and pan 3.5° to the southwest to an

The beauty of sky gazing is how simple and adaptable it is. Begin whenever you have some time outside or near a window where you can see the sky, even if it’s just a patch. When you feel emotionally overloaded or flat, try it for a few minutes at a time.

I looked out of the window before bed while on holiday in Orkney in mid-August and was delighted to see my first-ever noctilucent cloud display! The reflections in the still waters of the Bay of Firth

We had been driving for most of the day across the rugged terrain of the Atacama to reach our wild camp spot for the night. Shades of rusty orange coated the landscape. Volcanoes loomed among the jagg

Thursday 2 Dwarf planet Ceres reaches opposition in the constellation of Cetus, shining at mag. +7.6. Find further details on page 47. Friday ▶ 3 Tonight and the night of 17/18 October are good times