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Popular Astronomy Magazine front cover, May 2023 issue

Exclusive to members – Popular Astronomy Magazine

The May–June 2023 issue of our bimonthly magazine is out now. It is packed with interesting articles, but you won’t find it in the shops! That’s because Popular Astronomy is available exclusively to members of the Society for Popular Astronomy.

To get your own copy, plus all the other benefits of belonging to Britain’s brightest astronomical society, click here now to become a member of the SPA!

Popular Astronomy Magazine front cover, May 2023 issue

Latest News

Supernova appears in galaxy M101
A supernova has exploded in the galaxy M101 in the well-known constellation of Ursa Major. As of 23 May the star’s brightness is magnitude 11, so while you won’t be able to spot it as a new star just by looking up at the sky, amateur astronomers with medium-sized telescopes (say 150 mm and upwards) should be able to pick it out visually if they are accustomed to using the instrument.
Venus, the beautiful evening star



You can’t miss the evening star at the moment. The planet Venus is shining brightly in the spring skies of 2023, and it will remain with us into the early summer. But this year it disappears more quickly than usual as seen from the UK and northern Europe in particular. So what’s going on?

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Featured content

Choosing a telescope

If you’re interested in astronomy, it stands to reason that you need a telescope, and the bigger the better. But for most of us, there’s a lot of research to do before you can make the plunge. There is a bewildering range of instruments available, but the good news is…

How to start stargazing

Learning the sky might seem tricky at first. There are so many stars, and unlike visiting a new town or city, the stars keep on moving around! But don’t give up! With a few tips and tricks, you’ll soon start to tell your Aries from your Aldebaran. The first step is to look at…