Iain Todd

1 week ago | skyatnightmagazine.com | Iain Todd

Astronomers say they've found "the most promising signs yet" of chemicals on a planet beyond our Solar System that could indicate the presence of life on its surface. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, the team found a possible 'biosignature' – the potential fingerprint of life – within its atmosphere, although they say they're remaining "cautious", and that this isn't a confirmed detection. The chemicals detected are the same as those produced by marine-dwelling organisms on Earth.

1 week ago | skyatnightmagazine.com | Iain Todd

The James Webb Space Telescope has given astronomers a brand new view inside NGC 1514, a cosmic cloud formed as a dying star begins to shed its outer layers into space. NGC 1514 can be seen in the constellation Taurus and is about 1,500 lightyears from Earth. It's an object known as a planetary nebula, which is formed during the final stages of a star's life, when it begins to vent material into space and forms a puffed-out shape.

1 week ago | skyatnightmagazine.com | Iain Todd

The Gemini South telescope in Chile has enabled astronomers to construct a 3D representation of the asteroid that has a slim chance of colliding with our Moon. Observations with the telescope revealed more about what type of asteroid it is, including how fast it's spinning and how big it is, as well as the possibility it was nudged towards Earth by Jupiter. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was detected on 27 December 2024 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

1 week ago | skyatnightmagazine.com | Iain Todd

You may have heard news that the Pink Moon is rising tonight, Sunday 13 April, but if you're looking at tonight's Moon you'll find an added stargazing bonus: bright star Spica is close by. Spica is one of the brightest stars in the springtime sky and will be close to tonight's full Moon, which is the 2025 Pink Moon. For more stargazing advice, sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

2 weeks ago | skyatnightmagazine.com | Iain Todd

The field of exoplanet study is one of the most rapidly advancing fields in astronomy, going from first confirmed discovery to the first direct images of exoplanets within less than 10 years. Exoplanets – meaning 'extrasolar planets' – are planets that orbit stars beyond our Sun. Up until the mid 1990s, astronomers could only hypothesise that, if there are planets around our own star, the Sun, then surely there must be planets around other stars.