Skills
Expert advice on a range of practical astronomy techniques, from setting up your telescope to combatting light pollution.
How to photograph Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS
Biggest stars in the Universe and how to see them
Use our star charts to help you point your telescope at 4 mindblowing hypergiants.
Astrophotography With A Smartphone: Timelapses
How to take social media-quality night sky images with your mobile phone
See galaxies, planets and star clusters. How to do astronomy and stargazing with binoculars
A good pair of binoculars can be even better than a telescope for astronomy beginners. Read our guide to getting started.
How to find and discover a comet
Mercury | How to observe the planet
Mercury returns favourably to our twilight skies in April 2023. Find out how to locate it and what you can see through a telescope.
How to photograph the stars
Have you ever wanted to take a beautiful photograph of a starry night sky? Read our beginner's guide to photographing the stars with a digital camera.
Image processing | Bring out the best in your astrophotos
In this tutorial we'll reveal why image processing is important in astrophotography, and how to get started.
How to attach a DSLR camera to a telescope
How to use a telescope like a camera lens for close-up shots of the stars.
Perseids 2024 | How to see this month's meteor shower
The Perseid meteor shower begins late July and peaks every August. Find out how you can spot a Perseid in the night sky this month.
How to photograph the planets
All you need to know to photograph the planets, including what telescope you'll need, photographing with a DSLR and tips, tricks and techniques.
Want to capture a shooting star? Our beginner's guide on how to photograph the Perseid meteor shower
Find out to photograph a Perseid meteor shower in the night sky and what equipment you'll need.
Planets | August 2024
Make the most of Saturn at opposition this month with our guide to observing the planets.
Aurora: the science of the Northern Lights, and how to see them
A guide to the aurora borealis: what it is, what causes its green and pink glow, and the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights.
Altazimuth telescope mounts: what they are, how to set one up and how to use them for observing the night sky
Our guide to what altaz mounts are, how they work and why they're important for practical astronomy.
10 easy lessons | How to get into astronomy
If you’re a newcomer to astronomy, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll have you marvelling at the Universe in no time.
How to point your smartphone through your telescope and capture incredible images of the night sky
Discover the Solar System from your back garden. Top tips for observing the planets in the night sky
How to make the most of your observations of the worlds of the Solar System.
How to photograph a display of night-shining noctilucent clouds with a smartphone
Coax your phone’s camera into low-light mode and catch ethereal noctilucent clouds.
Noctilucent clouds | What they are and how to see them
High altitude clouds on the edge of space, noctilucent clouds or NLCs are a delight for summer stargazers.
Planets | See Mars and Jupiter throughout July 2024
Mars and Jupiter steal the show as the planets start to improve this month.
Observing guide | How to see the planets in 2024
Our month-by-month guide to locating the planets throughout 2024
Mars reaches opposition in January 2025. Get ready and start observing the Red Planet now
This week is the best time to view Mars all year, as the Red Planet reaches opposition.
Observing guide | See Mars as it approaches opposition
As Mars approaches opposition, take time to make the most of the Red Planet.