Features

Astronomy’s Guide to the Night Sky

This handy four-page insert will keep you looking up all year.

How we’ll probe the solar system

Humanity has come a long way since our first forays into space 5 decades ago. The next 10 years will take us even further.

Web Extra: Remembering the first solar system probes

Return to a time when little was known about the outer planets and everyone looked forward to Voyager’s discoveries.

A shocking surprise in Stephan’s Quintet

Unexpected radiation in this celebrated galaxy group is puzzling astronomers. Here’s how they are sorting out the mystery.

Web Extra: See more of Stephans Quintet

This galaxy group is stunning in photographs.

How an artist brought the heavens to Earth

Before computers, advanced telescopes, or even film cameras, Étienne Leopold Trouvelot’s drawings shaped how the public saw the heavens.

Web Extra: See more of Trouvelot’s artwork

The 19th-century artist’s illustrations reveal not just some of the sky’s more famous objects, but also the attitudes toward them on Earth.

10 top winter binocular treats

You don’t need a telescope to observe these cold weather wonders.

Web Extra: Cold weather gems photo gallery

Enjoy more images of winter binocular objects.

Shoot the sky without a telescope

These simple techniques will help you capture great pictures with just a camera on a tripod.

Web Extra: How to choose a camera for astroimaging

Off-the-shelf digital cameras can deliver splendid shots of the night sky.

Become an observer in 10 simple steps

Amateur astronomy is fun and easy. Follow these tips and you’ll be viewing the universe in no time.

The new Dobsonian revolution

The simplest telescope undergoes a high-tech redesign.

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