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There’s nothing quite like looking up at the night sky. It’s always brought me a deep sense of peace and wonder, especially during difficult times.

One of my favorite tools to help me identify the stars as I journey through them from the ground is Sky Guide, an augmented reality app that overlays the sky to show constellations.

I often plan my evenings around events that it highlights, like when the International Space Station passes overhead (I always wave)! And, like many people, I’ve developed a strong connection to the Moon. I like to stare up at it when it’s just a sliver, when it’s round and full, and when it looks like a big smile suspended in the sky.

But as much as I’ve loved using apps to enhance my stargazing, I’ve been yearning for something more. A few years ago, a very kind friend gave me a telescope for my birthday.

Though I never made much use of it while living in a basement flat in London, UK, I’m now up in Yorkshire with darker skies – and I’m ready to make 2025 the year I truly up my astronomy game.

How to choose the right telescope for stargazing

If you’re considering taking your stargazing to the next level, the first step is finding the right telescope.

“The best telescope is the one you’ll actually use." This is what amateur astronomer and astrophotographer Nazmus Nasir, known as Naztronomy online, tells me. “For most people, it's the one that's easiest to set up and takes the least amount of time to maintain.” Otherwise it’ll just end up gathering dust – as mine has been doing for two years.

Tips for photographing the aurora with your phone

Photographer Rebecca Douglas shares her top tips:
1. Night mode or long exposure:
Use a 3- to 10-second exposure with night mode, or set ISO to 800-3200 in manual mode to balance light and noise.
2. Stabilize your phone:
Use a tripod or prop it against a sturdy surface. Or hold it steady with both hands, elbows tucked in, and press the button while holding your breath.
3. Focus on the sky:
Lower screen brightness to adjust your eyes to the dark and give the camera time to focus in low light.
4. Edit your photos:
Use built-in tools to enhance saturation, contrast, and sharpness for more detail.

To get to grips with what kind of telescope might work for you, Thomas Burbine, visiting assistant professor in Astronomy at Mount Holyoke College, offers practical advice. “Visit an amateur astronomy club or a star party. Talk to people who already have telescopes. If they have observing nights, try viewing a few objects through them. Too many people buy expensive telescopes they never use. It’s best to get as much hands-on information as you can before making a purchase.”

For beginners, Naz recommends tabletop Dobsonian telescopes. “They’re a really great starter type of scope,” he explains. “They’re small reflectors that you can put on a table and they give you the best bang for your buck.” He recommends taking a look at popular models, which include the Orion Starblast 4.5, Zhumell z114, and Sky-Watcher Heritage 130p. They're easy to set up and can provide excellent views of celestial objects.

You could also consider a refractor telescope. Naz suggests starting with a small, wide-field scope. “These are easier to use, require almost no maintenance, and are ideal for taking photos,” he explains.

Naz warns to steer clear of cheap telescopes that seem too good to be true, as their optics often disappoint. Instead, look for reputable brands, like Celestron, Apertura, Astro-Tech, and Sky-Watcher. While some of these can be pricey, their quality is leagues ahead of budget options.

The Seestar S50 (above) is one of the new breed of smart telescopes, but simpler tabletop Dobsonian telescopes like the ones recommended above cost half as much. (Image credit: Seetar)

Once you’ve chosen a telescope, consider upgrading your setup with a sturdy mount or tripod. “A mount with slow-motion controls makes it easier to track objects,” says Naz. For even more precision, a tracking mount with “go-to” capabilities is a game-changer. “You can tell it what to find and it’ll also keep the object in view so you don’t have to fidget with the gear,” Naz explains. He recommends models like the Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi and Star Adventurer 2i; by keeping objects in view, they open up possibilities for better imaging.

If you’re interested in instant gratification, smart telescopes, like the Seestar S50, are worth exploring. These compact, automated devices handle everything for you, from locating celestial objects to taking and stacking photos. “The only downside is that they don’t have eyepieces, so you can’t look through most of them like a traditional telescope,” Naz says. But they’re perfect for beginners looking for quick results.

How to take photos with your telescope

Seeing the wonders of the night sky is incredible, but what if you want to capture them to share or revisit later? Luckily, you don’t need a lot of new gear to get started. With just a smartphone and a few clever accessories, you can take impressive astrophotography shots right alongside your telescope.

For telescope users, Naz suggests getting a phone mount, which allows you to attach your device to the eyepiece. Once you’ve secured it, you can play around with what works best for the objects you want to photograph. “For moon and planets, a single exposure would be fine. For deep sky objects, you can do exposures that are several seconds long,” Naz says.

(Image credit: Astroshader)

He suggests starting with an intervalometer app to take regular photos, or using apps like Deep Sky Camera and AstroShader(above) to capture stunning night shots – especially of star trails or meteor showers. You can also check out our guide on how to take night sky images with your phone.

If you’re ready to move beyond your phone, consider investing in one of the best DSLRs or best mirrorless cameras. “Learn to use the manual mode,” Naz advises. “Experiment with ISO settings and exposure times to achieve different results.” Some good starting settings and tips can be found in our guide to photographing the Blue Moon and Milky Way.

Dedicated t-adapters can also connect your camera to your telescope. “This essentially turns your telescope into your camera's lens,” Naz explains.

How to take photos with your phone

Not ready to invest in a telescope? Binoculars are an excellent alternative. “Even a small pair can enhance your view of the night sky,” says Naz. “The Moon looks spectacular through binoculars. You may also be able to see the core of the Andromeda Galaxy more easily or even the Galilean moons of Jupiter..”

Even without advanced equipment, the night sky offers plenty of opportunities for capturing its beauty. Thanks to advancements in smartphone technology, creating stunning photos is more achievable than ever.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Photographer Rebecca Douglas explains just how far we’ve come. “10 years ago when I started shooting the night sky, it was impossible to capture anything on a phone,” she says that’s changing. “But there are quite a few things you need to know to be able to capture images that resemble the majesty you’re seeing with your eyes.”

She recommends using apps like Star Walk 2 for celestial identification and PhotoPills for planning your shots. She also tells me that a tripod and remote trigger are must-haves for reducing any motion blur.

But I love that Rebecca reminds me that astrophotography isn’t just about technology. “The night sky connects us to something much bigger than ourselves,” she says.

Whether you’re using a phone, binoculars, or a telescope, she says that stargazing offers a profound sense of awe. “Whether it’s ancient starlight, the swirling colors of an aurora, or the Milky Way’s vast ribbon across the sky, there’s a little magic waiting for you up there every time.”

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• U7inh instance has 1,920 virtual CPUs and 32TB of memory, and you can run 4 of these
• Need to sustain SAP workloads is what encouraged HPE to work with AWS
• However, there's also the fact HPE may be helping AWS get newer, lucrative leads

As businesses face relentless data growth, challenges like data silos and outdated legacy systems, such as Unix-based servers, increasingly stand in the way of progress.

HPE has positioned its Compute Scale-up Server 3200, which it launched in 2023, as the answer to these challenges, promising scalability and performance for mission-critical applications.

The server supports workloads like SAP HANA and ERP with up to 16 sockets and 32TB of shared memory, enabling seamless scalability and reduced server sprawl. Powered by 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Sapphire Rapids), it doubles core counts, integrates AI accelerators, and features DDR5 memory with PCIe 5.0 for enhanced performance and bandwidth, ideal for data-intensive applications.

Eroding on-premises market share?

AWS has now announced the general availability of a new Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) U7inh-32tb.480xlarge instance which runs on the 16-socket HPE Compute Scale-up Server 3200 and is built on the AWS Nitro System.

While that sounds like a positive move for HPE customers, it does raise concerns about the strategic implications.

AWS’s new U7inh instance features 1,920 vCPUs, 32TB of DDR5 memory, 160 Gbps of EBS bandwidth, and 200 Gbps of network bandwidth. AWS says, “You can run your largest in-memory database workloads like SAP HANA or seamlessly migrate workloads running on HPE hardware to AWS.”

As The Register notes, however, AWS’s announcement of the new offering mentions "customers that currently run on-premises with HPE servers have also asked how we can help them migrate to AWS to take advantage of cloud benefits while continuing to use HPE hardware."

By partnering with AWS, HPE potentially opens the door for the cloud giant to gain access to customers running critical workloads on-premises who may be considering cloud migration.

This partnership could inadvertently help AWS capture more enterprise leads, potentially eroding HPE’s on-premises market share. The timing is particularly striking, as AWS has acknowledged a growing trend of customers revisiting on-prem solutions.

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• New cybersecurity requirements may soon be introduced for US healthcare firms
• The new rules will aim to protect systems which hold sensitive information
• These will cost an estimated $9 billion in the first year

A new set of requirements have been proposed by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for healthcare firms in the country to ensure the personally identifiable information of patients and company data is adequately protected. The proposal includes routine vulnerability and breach scans, data encryption, and multi-factor authentication.

The new requirements would also make it mandatory to use anti-malware protection for systems which handle sensitive information, as well as network segmentation, implementing separate controls for data backup and recovery, and yearly audits to check for compliance.

Healthcare organizations have been increasingly targeted by threat actors due to the amount of sensitive data they hold and the crucial service they provide - meaning the organizations are often forced to pay large ransoms for their systems and information in order to continue operating.

The cost of updated standards

Implementing these requirements will cost an estimated $9 billion in the first year, and $6 billion in the following two years, according to Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, Anne Neuberger.

Despite the cost, Neuberger points out that these requirements add necessary protections given that the number of large scale security breaches and ransomware affecting healthcare organizations has skyrocketed by 102% since 2019.

Healthcare data is being repeatedly sold across the dark web, with an attack on UnitedHealth Group leading to over 100 million US customers exposed - which was disruptive to both patients and staff.

"In this job, one of the most concerning and really troubling things we deal with is hacking of hospitals, hacking of healthcare data," said Neuberger.

“Hospitals have been forced to operate manually and Americans' sensitive healthcare data, mental health information and other information are "being leaked on the dark web with the opportunity to blackmail individuals."

Via Reuters

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You've got two days to binge Apple's original TV shows and movies.

• President Jimmy Carter passed away on Saturday, December 29, 2024.
• He was the 39th President of the United States and known as a 'President for Peace.'
• Apple CEO Tim Cook shared his remembrance on X on the 29th, and Apple has now updated its homepage with a takeover honoring the former President.

Yesterday, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100, and now Apple has updated its homepage for a rare takeover, paying tribute to the 39th President of the United States.

It comes a day after Apple CEO Tim Cook shared his respects on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Today, we honor President Carter’s lifetime of service and his commitment to leaving the world better than he found it. May he rest in peace.”

The homepage takeover is a bit more subtle and in line with previous home takeovers, though there have only been a few in recent history.

Apple’s homepage shows a photo of Jimmy Carter, the same one shared by Tim Cook on social, in front of a construction site. Likely speaking to the President’s impact during his time in the White House and the following years. Carter, who become president in 1977, soon after Apple was founded in 1976, would leave office in 1981 after serving a single term.

Today, we honor President Carter’s lifetime of service and his commitment to leaving the world better than he found it. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/cXl99kT7lrDecember 29, 2024

President Jimmy Carter's time in office is perhaps best remembered for the Camp David Accords, which brokered peace between Israel and Egypt. After his time as President, Carter remained in the public eye, serving as a humanitarian for many causes, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He was known as a “President for Peace” and was friends with musicians including Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, hence the ‘Rock N’Roll’ President moniker.

Apple’s homepage takeovers have been few and far between, normally happening for product launches. Still, the most notable other remembrance post would be for former Apple CEO and founder Steve Jobs after his passing in 2011.

You can view the homepage takeover on Apple.com here and learn more about Jimmy Carter and his legacy here.

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• Ransomware group Space Bears claims ransomware attack on Atos
• No evidence has been found and no ransom demands received
• Space Bears, a new group, has already targeted many companies

French tech giant Atos has confirmed it has been hit by a cyberattack, but has noted the threat might just be a false alarm.

The company shared details of a threat by ransomware group Space Bears, which claimed to have compromised an internal Atos database.

However, Atos said that initial investigations revealed no evidence of any compromise or ransomware affecting any of its systems in any country, or those of its subsidiary Eviden.

Atos ransomware attack?

Apart from the lack of evidence, Atos says it has not received any ransom demand, however it still takes the threat “very seriously.”

The company, which has an annual revenue of €10 billion ($10.4 billion), says it has put together a dedicated cybersecurity team to investigate the allegat

ion. No further updates have been issued by the company.

For context, Space Bears is a ransomware group believed to have emerged in early 2024.

The attackers has already targeted several victims globally, targeting Canadian software development company Haylem and two related companies, Un Museau Vaut Mille Mots and Lexibar.

The group claimed to have obtained database information, including employee and client information.

Other December 2024 attacks by the group include Canada’s JRT Automatisation and India’s Aptus.

No further updates have been shared since Atos’ first announcement on December 29. TechRadar Pro has asked the company for further details, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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