The August 2012 issue of Astronomy Now:

Dangerous descent: Before its mission truly gets underway, the Mars rover Curiosity first has to survive a daredevil landing on 6 August, featuring cranes, parachutes and jet-packs.

History in the rocks: Curiosity is first and foremost a geologist, equipped with the most sophisticated suite of science instruments ever sent to another planet in order to discover Mars’ past.

Life on Mars? Despite being unable to detect Martian life, Curiosity may be able to tell us whether Mars has ever had conditions suitable for little Martians.

Built in Britain – the next Mars rover: The European Space Agency intends to send a giant rover to Mars in 2018 to search for life there. What’s more, it’s a British company that has got the contract to build it.

Wish you were here? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stand on another planet? Our beginners’ guide to stepping foot on other astronomical bodies puts you in the spacesuit.

The Kielder Deep Field: Astrophotographer Robert Ince took it upon himself to challenge the Hubble Space Telescope and attempt his own version of the famous Hubble Deep Field from the dark skies of Northumberland.

Tales from the high country: Neil English jetted off to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California for a unique and exclusive star party.

The Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva has accomplished its principal mission: to find the Higgs Boson. But what does this mean for particle physics and cosmology, asks Gemma Lavender?

We were deluged with fantastic images following June’s transit of Venus. We present more of the best that we received.