Magazine | Page 4 of 298 | Astronomy.com

X-ray and optical composite image of IGR J11014-6103, a pulsar wind nebula, from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. A large, diffuse cloud of magenta/pink X-ray emission dominates the upper left, representing a supernova remnant. To the lower right, a smaller bright green and pink structure shows a pulsar with jets and a curved tail of X-ray emission trailing behind it, indicating rapid motion through space. Background stars are visible throughout. Credit: Chandra X-ray Center (chandra.si.edu).

What does the term ‘supersonic’ mean in astronomy?

Two bright planets — Venus and Jupiter — shine as close points of light in a deep blue twilight sky above an illuminated city skyline at dusk. The city's skyscrapers, tower, and sprawling lights glow against a gradient sky that fades from deep blue above to lighter blue near the horizon, with low clouds hugging the rooftops.

June 2026: What’s in the sky this month?

A twilight photograph taken from the shore of a calm lake, looking toward a park with trees, streetlights, and a tall flagpole silhouetted against a deep blue and orange dusk sky. Three planets — Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter — are visible as bright points of light in the sky, with two clustered close together near the horizon and one higher up. Their reflections shimmer faintly in the still water below, which is dotted with aquatic plants.

June 2026: What’s in the Southern Hemisphere sky this month?

A wide-field view of M44, the Beehive Cluster, showing a loose, sprawling grouping of bright, individually resolved stars scattered across the center of the frame. The cluster's most prominent members are large, brilliant blue-white stars, contrasted by several warm orange and golden stars interspersed among them. The cluster has no tight central concentration, spreading openly across the field with a rich background of much fainter stars visible throughout the deep black sky.

Deep-Sky Objects, Observing

Observe spring’s star clusters

A vivid aurora borealis fills the night sky with sweeping green and pink curtains of light above a snow-covered coastal hillside in the Arctic. The calm water of a fjord reflects the glow, while rounded rocks line the shoreline in the foreground and distant lights illuminate a small structure on the far shore.

Uncovering the science of aurorae

A screenshot of the July 2026 issue landing page. The hero image features a bright deep-space scene with a glowing blue core of a nebula, wrapped in thick, textured clouds of amber and brown gas and dust. Sharp white stars fill the outer regions of the frame, with a few brighter stars showing cross-shaped spikes.

How to read the July digital issue of Astronomy magazine

Stellar nursery N159 appears in many colors in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope

N159: A star-forming nebula in the spider’s shadow

An image of the Milky Way night sky taken through a modified DSLR

Astrophotography, Observing

Modifying your DSLR for astrophotography

Telescopes of the Allen Telescope Array sit beneath a starry night sky. The array is designed to listen for signals sent or generated by extraterrestrial life.

Alien Life, Features

Should we keep looking for ET?

10 great spring binocular sights

Did time move slower right after the Big Bang?

Telescopes and Equipment

May we present this month’s new astronomy products