Lunar exploration

From stargazing as a child to presenting the iconic The Sky At Night , Dame Maggie Aderin, 57, tells us how she beat the odds to become a space scientist, and why life beyond Earth matters to all of us

In early March this year, nearly a third of the world’s population will have the opportunity to witness a total lunar eclipse. How do they happen and why do they turn the Moon reddish-brown?

As the Wolf Moon rose in early January, my social media feeds seemed to overflow with videos and images making wild and fantastical claims. It was the first supermoon of 2026, just marginally brighter

Sibyls , the book born of Ruth Fainlight’s poems and Leonard Baskin’s prints, became a memento of friendship, beauty and sorrow for its author

Fyodor Uspensky History of the Byzantine Empire Translated and edited by Dean Marais Five volumes; 1,852pp. Based. Paperback, £92.05. James Howard-Johnston Byzantium Economy, society, institutions 600

“As movers and the moved both know”, John Updike noted, “books are heavy freight ... They make us think twice about changing addresses.” Books: A manifesto, or, How to build a library begins with the