Your complete guide to 2025's stars from January to December. Featuring detailed guides to the best stargazing sights of 2025; the top targets in each season’s best constellation and a look ahead to potential bright comets, practical projects and more!
The Astronomer's Yearbook 2025
Welcome
Family-friendly ASTRONOMY • Mary McIntyre reveals practical tips and fun projects that will get the whole family – young and old – looking up
10 targets to get you started in astrophotography • From star trails to your first planets, Tom Kerss shares 10 inspiring projects to kick off your night photography journey
Build your EYEPIECE COLLECTION • Great eyepieces are crucial to any astronomical setup. Here Tim Jardine arms you with the info you need to choose the best ones to invest in
Types of eyepiece • Wide fields of view offer an immersive, but expensive, option
Quantity or quality? • Finding the right fit for you isn’t always just about the price
The pitfalls of zoom eyepieces
Choosing which eyepiece to use • Having the right one ensures your observing will turn out alright on the night
What about a Barlow?
Tools to help pick an eyepiece • Don’t worry if you’re getting lost in numbers – there are tools to help
Completing your set • When it comes to eyepieces, it’s about what works best for you
Take the Caldwell challenge • Follow in the footsteps of Patrick Moore and track down 10 favourite targets from the deep-sky catalogue he created
The making of Moore’s marathon • Why did Patrick produce his own celestial catalogue, and what targets does it contain?
Equipment round-up BEST OF 2024 • Over the past 12 months, we tested 31 different items of astronomical equipment. Here are five of the finest to have passed through our labs.
ZWO Seestar S50 smart scope • An enjoyable budget all-in-one that almost does everything
Celestron SkyMaster Pro ED 15x70 binoculars • This popular big-magnification pair gets even better with a lens upgrade
Askar V apo modular telescope kit • A refined refractor with swapable lenses that offers remarkable flexibility
Masuyama 1.25-inch 53° eyepieces • Eight high-end eyepieces that open up heavenly views – for a premium price tag
Altair Astro Hypercam 585C colour camera • From nebulae to the Moon, this jack-of-all-trades does it all for under £500
The night sky month by month 2025 • Your guide to the stars throughout the year by Pete Lawrence
January • Don't miss the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower
February • Look out for the many planetary spectacles this month
Constellation of the season SPRING: Canes Venatici
March • Don't miss the partial solar eclipse and total lunar eclipse this month
April • Don't miss the Lyrid meteor shower and Jewelled Handle clair-obscur effect
May • Mars lies near the Beehive Cluster and there's an unusual shadow transit of Titan
Constellation of the season SUMMER: Serpens
June • Catch interesting planetary displays and perhaps a noctilucent cloud display
July • Mercury puts on a show at twilight, and Saturn and Neptune come together
August • There's late summer planetary action and moon events on Saturn and Jupiter this month
Constellation of the season AUTUMN: Cetus
September • Don't miss the plethora of lunar spectacles this month
October • Titan is on show this month, with a shadow transit of Saturn and then an occultation
November • A comet buzzes the Beehive and Titan is covered first by Saturn, then its shadow
Constellation of...
