Out of this world

From colliding galaxies to supermassive black holes, we take a look at some of the strangest sights in the universe

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.

Astronomers love a challenge. They place their observatories on the highest mountains, in the driest deserts, on the coldest ice shelves, beneath the deepest oceans, in orbit around Earth and the Sun,

In the 17th century, the great maritime nations were vying to solve a puzzle that had confounded philosophers for many centuries: how to determine exact positions on the Earth’s surface. And in Britai

This October marks 50 years since a heavily shielded spacecraft, the Soviet Union’s Venera 9, parachuted into the atmosphere of Venus. Then, having landed, it did something extraordinary: it beamed ba

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a misnomer. Shooting stars, planetary nebulae, guinea pigs… none of them does what it says on the tin. Another great example is the term ‘physical constant’. These ar