This 132-page special issue, put together by the staff of Astronomy Now magazine, chronicles the latest developments in some of the most fascinating fields of astronomy and astrophysics including the search for planets orbiting other stars, the origin of the Universe, and the prospects for life on Mars and beyond.

We’ve gathered together some of the UK’s leading amateur observers, to bring you 32 pages of observing notes for 2004. See the solar transit of Venus, get our predictions for comets and meteor showers.

There’s in-depth coverage of the night sky from month to month, illustrated with lavish star charts by Mark McLellan. And AN’s product reviewers round up the best new hardware for practical astronomers.

A comprehensive news review covers developments in the major fields of astronomy from exoplanets to black holes. We look forward to the long-awaited arrival of the Cassini probe at Saturn and the descent of Europe’s Huygens probe into the atmosphere of the ringed planet’s moon, Titan. Read an exclusive interview with Jim Garvin, NASA's lead scientist for Mars exploration. And browse some of the most stunning space imagery returned by our most powerful telescopes, both on the ground and in orbit.