Autumn has draped itself across the northern hemisphere, heralding the onset of longer, darker nights that serve as the perfect backdrop for amateur astronomers looking to explore the wonders of the night sky.

Our sky is constantly changing as the relentless passing of the seasons and movement of the planets, moon, comets and Earth itself bring an ever-shifting array of astronomical targets into view.

Join us as we explore a selection of spectacular sights picked to highlight the diversity of the autumn sky, which will be visible both through telescopes and binoculars, or even the naked eye, assuming one particular comet continues its brightening trend!

8 skywatching targets to look out for this autumn

Orion, the hunter

The constellation Orion rises in the east around midnight in mid-

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