Astronomy Now

  Schematic illustration of the formation and evolution of organic matter in lunar soil. Credit: HAO Jialong’s Group. The Moon may preserve a record of the raw ingredients that helped life begin on Earth. New analysis of lunar samples returned by China’s Chang’e missions has revealed a diverse suite of organic compounds embedded within the soil. They offer a rare glimpse of the early Solar System’s chemistry that has long since been erased from our planet. The findings come from mater

NASA’s Fermi five-year view of the gamma-ray sky shows an excess of radiation coming from the centre of out Galaxy (centre of the image). Credit: NASA/DOE/Fermi LAT Collaboration Astronomers may not need to see the same dark matter signal everywhere in the Universe to confirm its existence. A new theoretical study suggests that dark matter could consist of more than one type of particle, potentially resolving a long-standing observational puzzle. Dark matter itself is inferred because the

NASA’s Space Launch System lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 1 April 2026, carrying the Artemis II crew (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen) aboard the Orion spacecraft. The mission will take the four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back. Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) ORLANDO, FLORIDA. I’m a space-crazed Canadian who has somehow seen 11 launches across four different rockets since 2009. I’ve witnes

An artist’s impression of a planet so close it to its star that it completes an orbit in 10.5 hours. Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Schaller (for STScI). An artificial intelligence tool developed at the University of Warwick has uncovered a rich haul of previously hidden exoplanets in data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), validating more than 100 worlds and identifying thousands more candidates. The new system, called RAVEN (RAnking and Validation of ExoplaNets), was ap

Strange X-rays from the naked eye star gamma-Cas have been confirmed to come from matter falling onto a hidden white dwarf companion, resolving a fifty-year astronomical mystery. Gamma-Cas, the central star in the familiar W-shape of Cassiopeia, has puzzled astronomers since the 1970s, when it was found to emit unusually strong high-energy X-rays. For decades two competing explanations have been considered. Either the X-rays arose from magnetic interaction between the star and its surrounding di

An artist’s impression of lava world L 98-59 d in orbit around its parent star. The interior of the planet could possess a vast magma ocean. Credit: Mark A. Garlick. Astronomers may have discovered a completely new kind of planet, one where a vast ocean of molten rock lies beneath a sulphur-rich atmosphere. The object, known as L 98-59 d, does not fit into any of the categories astronomers normally use to classify small exoplanets. Located about 35 light-years from Earth and roughly 1.6 times th

By Mark Armstrong A total lunar eclipse is centred on the mid-Pacific 3 March, visible to observers in New Zealand and sweeping eastern Australia and western USA, with a large partial eclipse extending further east and west. Phases of the 21 January 2019 eclipse captured by David Blanchflower. What is a lunar eclipse? An eclipse of the Moon occurs when our satellite moves into Earth’s shadow, when Earth lies between the Sun and the Moon. Normally, this alignment causes a full Moon to be seen in

…And now the weather… “And now the weather” appears every month in Astronomy Now magazine. Enjoy this free sampler from the February issue ahead of Valentine’s Day. The outer Solar System planets. Not to scale. Compilation by Astronomy Now/Greg Smye-Rumsby; original images NASA/JPL Diamond downpours in the outer Solar System Here’s some crystal-clear advice for you Valentine’s Day travellers this February. Head for the outer Solar System, where it is a jewellery-lov

Get ready for a month packed full of thrilling Moon-related events! From occultations of stars and planets, and even an eclipse, the Moon has some treats in store for astronomers around the world. List organised by date: In New York, Regulus is swallowed up on 2 February at 20:53 EST, reappearing at 21:49. Credit: Astronomy Now/Greg Smye-Rumsby 2 February, North America: Regulus engulfed The early evening of 2 February sees magnitude +1.36 Regulus, Leo’s alpha star, move behind the bright limb o

We were profoundly saddened to be informed of Dr Allan Chapman’s passing last week. A few months shy of his 80th birthday, Allan was a towering intellect in the field of the history of astronomy. His knowledge of the subject was second to none, and his indomitable spirit captivated audiences far and wide. Allan Chapman in 2006 with a bust of the great naked-eye astronomer Tycho Brahe. The image was featured in Allan’s recent article for us on Tycho Brahe’s Uraniborg, Europe’s f

by Neil Norman A potentially large member of the Kreutz family comets is speeding its way to a perihelion encounter during the first week of April this year. The object was discovered on 13 January 2026. Although not fully confirmed yet, if it is a Kreutz family comet, it will be an unprecedented discovery. Image of comet candidate 6AC4721 (centre), taken via the LCO-SAAO LO9 35-cm reflector on 14 January 2026. Credit: Alan Hale A Kreutz family comet is a member of a group of ‘sungrazing’ comets

As we head towards the end of 2025, it barely seems like five minutes ago that it was June and I was in the Royal Astronomical Society, signing the contract to take over the publication of Astronomy Now. Stuart Clark and Steven Young sign the Astronomy Now change of ownership contract at the Royal Astronomical Society in June 2025. Credit: Neil Monaghan. So much has happened in the six months since that afternoon that it is dizzying to think of it all. As some of you know, my association with th

Enjoy 24 festive astronomical images this month! Click to explore full-screen and for a brief description.

There are many meteor showers throughout the year. Here are the most prominent. For a beginner’s guide on meteors – what they are, where they come from, and how best to observe them – start with our ‘How to observe meteors’ guide. The Quadrantid meteor shower radiant lies in northern Boötes. January Shower: Quadrantids Active: 26 Dec –12 Jan Peak activity: 4 Jan Rate: up to 120 meteors per hour Radiant: Constellation Bootes Origin: Minor planet 2003 EH1 (a possible extinct comet) April Shower: L

Everything you need to know to get started with observing meteors. Click here for a calendar of events over the year. A Lyrid fireball bursts across the sky during the 2020 Lyrid meteor shower. The blue star right of frame is Sarin (delta Herculis) and the red star in the top-right corner is pi Herculis.Image: Pawel Zgrzebnick. What are meteors? Many people have looked up to see a ‘shooting star’ zipping across the sky. Of course, it is not really a star but a tiny piece of dust called a meteoro