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BBC Sky at Night Magazine - April 2026

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In this issue

COSMIC SLOWDOWN
The Universe could be expanding slower than we thought. What does that mean for its future?

APRIL FOOLS SPECIAL: ASTRONOMY’S GREATEST HOAXES

FLYING ON ALIEN PLANETS: THE NEW ERA OF SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION

THE MOST DETAILED MAP OF DARK MATTER EVER

WHY COAL COULD BE KEY TO FINDING INTELLIGENT LIFE

ON TEST: 10x80 BINOCULARS THAT BEAT TELESCOPES

Moon collision may have created Titan

The same crash built Saturn's iconic rings, say researchers

1 mins

How a student recreated cosmic dust in her lab

Researcher makes a simulated star nursery to produce the building blocks of life

1 mins

Did we just witness a black hole exploding?

An 'impossible' neutrino offers tantalising evidence of the Hawking radiation process

1 mins

The Milky Way's heart may not be a black hole

Extreme gravity effects could be down to fermionic dark matter, not Sagittarius A*

1 mins

NASA adds an extra mission to Artemis programme

Artemis III shifts from a lunar landing to low-orbit tests of key mission systems

1 mins

'Inside out' solar system discovered

A distant star has overturned the traditional model of planet formation

1 mins

Relief as light-polluting mega-project is cancelled

Chile's Paranal Observatory and the world's darkest skies saved from industrial plan

1 mins

Did we find - and kill - life on Mars 50 years ago?

The Viking landers may have found organic molecules, but accidentally destroyed them

1 mins

The Eye of God reveals its cosmic secrets

JWST goes deep into the chaotic interior of one of the sky's most famous objects

1 mins

Is technology on alien worlds reliant on fossil fuels?

Without coal, alien industry would stall long before first contact, says new study

2 mins

Rogue wandering black hole eats star

Odd off-centre flare may be a feasting black hole flung out of its galaxy

2 mins

INSIDE THE SKY AT NIGHT

We use X-rays to uncover the fiercest, most extreme events in the Universe. But, as George Dransfield explains, they're brilliant for quieter, slow-burn science too

3 mins

Why I want to put a hotel on the Moon

Bored of the beach? Sick of city breaks? Step this way. Space entrepreneur Skyler Chan explains how he'll build a holiday destination on the Moon by 2030

2 mins

Is the Universe slowing down?

Surprising new galaxy-mapping data suggests that dark energy's grip may be changing - and with it, the fate of the Universe, reports Keith Cooper

8 mins

Flying across alien skies

Katrin Raynor reveals how Ingenuity's triumph on Mars opened up a bold new era of flight on other worlds

7 mins

What was that strange flash?

Seen something in the night sky you can't explain? Pete Lawrence takes us through what lies behind those odd lights

3 mins

Plato's Hook

The 100km-wide crater Plato forms a distinctive dark oval at the top of Mare Imbrium.

2 mins

Venus conjunctions

There are some interesting conjunctions involving Venus this month.

1 mins

2026 Lyrids

The Lyrid meteor shower brings several months of lean meteor activity to an end.

1 mins

THE PLANETS

Our celestial neighbourhood in April

3 mins

MOONWATCH

April's top lunar feature to observe

2 mins

STAR OF THE MONTH

Alphecca, the brightest jewel in the Crown

1 mins

COMETS AND ASTEROIDS

Rare asteroid 13 Egeria will be brightest on 19 April

1 mins

THE SKY GUIDE CHALLENGE

Can you do the splits? Head to Boötes to see how many double stars you can separate

2 mins

Flying saucers- The making of a modern myth

Our obsession with UFOs goes back further than you might think. Robert Pateman traces how early science fiction, dubious sightings and an alien-mad media led to the 1950s saucer fever

9 mins

The hoax from outer space

April is hoax season and space has long been fertile ground for mischief. Paul Fisher Cockburn asks what makes a good space hoax and why even the silliest stories spread like wildfire

7 mins

Why rockets don't launch straight up

For a rocket to get its payload into space, it has to follow a curved path. But what would happen if it didn't?

2 mins

Space travel is far from straightforward

Even once you're up in space, the best route from A to B is rarely a straight line

1 mins

How to use a planisphere

Navigate the sky with the original stargazer's tool. No batteries, apps or Wi-Fi required!

3 mins

Capture the Crown

How to image Corona Borealis – and maybe even see one of its stars erupt

3 mins

Make your Milky Way images pop

Simple, free processing techniques using FastStone Image Viewer

3 mins

Player One Uranus-C (IMX585) USB 3.0 colour camera

Outstanding mid-price powerhouse that excels for planets and deep sky alike

4 mins

RVO Horizon 15-30x80 zoom observational binoculars

Sturdy budget-friendly binos that outperform beginner telescopes

4 mins

GEAR

Charlotte Daniels rounds up the latest astronomical accessories

1 mins

Crush: Close Encounters with Gravity

Gravity is something that we're all innately familiar with. It keeps our feet on the ground, fights against a rocket trying to leave Earth and governs the movement of the planets and stars.

1 mins

Exploring the Universe

There's no shortage of children's books about astronomy.

2 mins

Nightfaring: In Search of the Disappearing Darkness

This book is a manifesto for dark skies, written as a travel memoir.

1 mins

Q&A WITH A DARK MATTER SPECIALIST

Dark matter makes up 27 per cent of all matter in the Universe. So why is it so hard to find? Meet one of the people making a map that leads us to it

3 mins

Read all Stories from BBC Sky at Night Magazine

BBC Sky at Night Magazine Description:

Publisher: Our-Media-Ltd

Category: Science

Language: English

Frequency: Monthly

Complementing the much-loved BBC television programme, Sky at Night Magazine is your practical guide to astronomy. Each issue features columns by renowned experts such as Sir Patrick Moore as well as in-depth cosmological features, practical observing tutorials, comprehensive equipment reviews, astrophotography master classes and much, much more. And with easy-to follow star charts and expert advice on how to get the most out of the observing month, Sky at Night Magazine is essential reading for both the novice and experienced astronomer.