The colourful life of optics pioneer David Sinden, how to image the early Universe without a telescope, and much more

With articles ranging from a Patagonian eclipse adventure to advice on dealing with dew, this is a bumper issue! Plus, the answers to our fiendish Christmas Quiz

Celebrating women in astronomy, Dr Mark Kidger’s forecast for a well-known yet mysterious star, and the case of the vanishing nebula. Plus, try our challenging Quiz

Behind a special cover designed by space artist David Hardy is a packed issue, from observing Mars at opposition to getting involved with researching star formation

Mysterious waves in the atmosphere of Venus, the astronomical notes of a 17th century diarist, and how to observe the Sun’s polar faculae

Exciting results from NASA’s Juno mission, a new technique to study Martian dust storms and astronomical adventures in India, plus memories of Dr Heather Couper and Jim Hysom

Galaxies of the spring sky, the life of a little-known Suffolk astronomer, how to support the ARIEL mission by observing exoplanets and mentoring for budding spectroscopists

A quest to find a portable telescope fit for air travel, a tour of the planetary nebulae of Orion, citizen science with Chris Lintott and a significant paper on historic naked-eye sunspot observations

How to contribute to the Solar Section’s new databases, exploring a volcanic lunar landscape, a chance to help solve a 164-year-old nova mystery and a bumper selection of reviews

Explore the enigmatic Gyulbudaghian’s Nebula, read expert guidance on observing November’s transit of Mercury, and catch up with the latest from all the Sections in the annual Council report