Inside the December 2026 Issue

Mapping the Invisible, Highlighting Webb’s Greatest Hits, and Discovering our Galactic Family

With thousands of manmade satellites currently in orbit around Earth, it’s becoming harder to differentiate their trails from the streaks of light left behind by meteors burning up in the atmosphere. In the December 2026 issue of Sky & Telescope, Contributing Editor Bob King shows us how to do just that, so you can determine if you’ve captured an elusive fiery visitor from space or a metallic expatriate. Speaking of Earthly exports, the James Webb Space Telescope celebrates the fifth anniversary of its launch day this month! In its honor, we’re reviewing all the incredible discoveries that astronomers have gleaned from this data-collecting powerhouse, as well as some of the most stunning images it has captured during those short five years. And while JWST spies galaxy clusters billions of light-years away, we can challenge our Earth-bound scopes to a galaxy hunt of our own. Faint fuzzies abound in Aries, the Ram, just begging to be plucked from your backyard. Finally, we take you on a journey through the Milky Way’s family tree to discover which of these smudgy disks and spirals are traveling through the eons of empty space with our Local Group.

FEATURE ARTICLES:

Webb’s Greatest Hits

Let’s take a jaunt through the now-iconic space telescope’s science results thus far.

By Camille M. Carlisle

Meteor or Satellite?

Here’s a handy guide to identifying the streaks recorded in your widefield astrophotos.

By Bob King

Mapping the Invisible

An unseen force shapes the universe at many different scales.

By Paul M. Sutter

Galaxy-Hopping in Aries

Come explore the finest faint fuzzies the celestial Ram has to offer.  

By Ted Forte

Discovering Our Galactic Family

Meet the galactic gathering that includes the Milky Way and more than 100 other members.

By Ken Croswell

Beyond the Printed Page:

New Stellar Companion

See Betelgeuse’s new companion star.

Reading Ronchigrams

Learn how to perform a Ronchi Test on your telescope mirrors.

Satellite Tracker

Use Heavens Above to track the International Space Station and other satellites.

The Deep Sky

Ponder more than 25,000 deep-sky objects with Steve Gottlieb.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Into the Void

Naked-eye challenge: Hunt down three dim, little-known constellations along the southern horizon.

By Stephen James O’Meara

Planets Adorn the Morning Sky

The year winds down with some lovely dawn gatherings.

By Gary Seronik

Splendid Geminids!

December hosts yet another Moon-free meteor shower.

By Bob King

Take Advantage of AI Noise Reduction

Put the power of artificial intelligence to work in improving your nightscape photos.

By Alan Dyer

Table of Contents

See what else December’s issue has to offer.

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