AN June 2026

Elsewhere in the issue, we have an exclusive interview with William K. Hartmann, one of the great pioneers of planetary science. From crater-count dating and the formation of the Moon to Mars exploration and painting other worlds, Hartmann’s career spans the birth and growth of modern planetary science.

We also trace the story of the great deep-sky catalogues, from Charles Messier’s list of comet impostors to the New General Catalogue that brought order to the heavens. It is a fascinating history of how astronomers turned a sky full of faint smudges into a map of galaxies, nebulae and clusters.

Closer to home, we visit Sherwood Observatory to discover how Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society transformed a local observatory into a thriving planetarium and science centre. It is an inspiring story of amateur astronomy, public outreach and sheer determination.

Colin Stuart asks how the Universe will end. Will everything fade into the Big Freeze, tear itself apart in the Big Rip, or collapse back in a cosmic crunch? The answer depends on the mysterious dark energy that is driving the expansion of the Universe.

We have our complete guide to June’s night sky, including a spectacular early-evening conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, the return of Mars and Saturn before dawn, lunar observing highlights, cometwatch and deep-sky targets suited to midsummer’s twilit nights.

In our equipment section, Richard Deighton reviews the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro smartscope, and we are giving readers the chance to win one. There is also Astrogear with Steve Ringwood, Nik Szymanek’s Imaging Masterclass, Ask an Astronomer, the latest astronomy news, books, society profile, readers’ images and all your usual regulars.

Order your copy of Astronomy Now’s June issue today.