BBC Sky at Night

Sky at Night magazine is your practical guide to astronomy. Each issue features the world’s biggest and best night sky guide complete with star charts, observing tutorials and in-depth equipment reviews to ensure that amateur astronomers never miss those must-see events.

Welcome • Exploring why the Northern Lights are heading south

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Sky at Night – lots of ways to enjoy the night sky...

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This month’s contributors

Extra content ONLINE

A WIGGLE AND A WAVE • A crystal-clear new portrait shows the twisted jets emitting from a wobbly protostar

BULLETIN • The latest astronomy and space news, written by Ezzy Pearson

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NEWS IN BRIEF

CUTTING EDGE • This ultra-hot exoplanet is heated to such an extent that its atmosphere is one of the richest in elements yet seen

INSIDE THE SKY AT NIGHT • In the January episode of The Sky at Night, Tim Stevenson highlighted how light pollution is a growing problem for radio astronomers

Looking back: The Sky at Night

The Sky at Night

INTERACTIVE • Email us at inbox@skyatnightmagazine.com

Deep-sky starter

SCOPE DOCTOR • Our equipment specialist cures your optical ailments and technical maladies With Steve Richards

Sky at Night

WHAT’S ON • We pick the best live and virtual astronomy events and resources this month

Live Practical Astronomy Show 2022 • Kettering Conference Centre, Northamptonshire, 19 March

FIELD OF VIEW • The amateur astronomer’s forum

Boost your observing and imaging productivity • By adapting the famous Drake equation, Ron Brecher shows us how we can spend more time enjoying the beauty of the night sky

Waking up WEBB • The James Webb Space Telescope’s launch and deployment was a storming success, but why haven’t we seen the first pictures yet? Govert Schilling has the answer

Unfolding a space telescope • It took more than 50 individual steps and two weeks to set JWST up

Europe’s place on Webb • Led by the UK, European partners built one of JWST’s main instruments

EXPLAINER • Melanie Windridge looks at the influence of recent increases in solar activity

Chasing the Northern Lights in the UK • Now is the time to search for one of nature’s most spectacular sights

Get to know the SHAPES of the aurora • Learn the forms of the natural world’s most stunning light show

The Sky Guide

MARCH HIGHLIGHTS • Your guide to the night sky this month

THE BIG THREE • The top sights to observe or image this month

THE PLANETS • Our celestial neighbourhood in March

THE NIGHT SKY – MARCH • Explore the celestial sphere with our Northern Hemisphere all-sky chart

MOONWATCH • March’s top lunar feature to observe

COMETS AND ASTEROIDS • Asteroid 16 Psyche reaches opposition in the constellation of Leo, the Lion

STAR OF THE MONTH • Find Altarf, at the end of the Crab’s leg

BINOCULAR TOUR • This month’s highlights include a Double Double in Leo and a galaxy triplet

THE SKY GUIDE CHALLENGE • Can you spot the Moon’s eastern libration features this month?

DEEP-SKY TOUR • Discover the celestial treasures inside Coma Berenices, the Queen’s Hair

AT A GLANCE • How the Sky Guide events will appear in March

CLEAR SKIES AHEAD? Weather forecasting for astronomers • Pete Lawrence shows you how to assess the changeable atmosphere to tell how it will affect your stargazing

Transparency and how to record it • Learning to measure transparency will help you compare sky clarity under different conditions and locations, from dark-sky areas to cities

Seeing and how to...