Different Types of Telescopes and Their Uses

Gazing at the darkened sky, speckled with stars and moons and planets through a telescope opens up the imagination for skilled astronomers. For a person that has never used a telescope before it may sound difficult to do. For the beginner, maneuvering an instrument may seem tricky and the technologyContinue Reading

To enjoy Night Sky astronomy, you don’t need to be on a secluded hilltop with an expensive telescope. With just your naked eye, follow these five steps to get started anywhere: 1. Know Where You Are Where you are on Earth determines what you can see in the night sky.Continue Reading

How To Get Started In Backyard Astronomy

Did you know you can see a galaxy 2½ million light-years away with your unaided eyes? Craters on the Moon with binoculars? Countless wonders await you any clear night. The first step in astronomy for beginners is simply to look up and ask, “What’s that?” Begin gazing at the starsContinue Reading

When and Where to Stargaze

Your stargazing experience will be much better if you have good observing conditions. Full Moon vs. New Moon The Full Moon is very bright and tends to wash out a good portion of the sky. Though it’s fun to observe the Moon and easy to observe planets and bright stars while theContinue Reading

What Tools to Bring for a Night of Stargazing

A variety of tools can enhance your stargazing by helping you locate objects in the sky and see them in more detail. Star Charts Star charts are road maps for the sky: they show the locations of stars, galaxies, nebulae, and clusters, as well as directions (north, south, east, west) andContinue Reading

How To Identify Stars, Nebulae, and Galaxies

The objects you can see in the sky with your naked eye are mostly stars and sometimes planets, but with binoculars or a telescope, many other types of objects become visible. That being said, if you just have a small, basic telescope, don’t expect to see a lot of spectacularContinue Reading

Moon Gazing: What It Is, How to Do It

Many of the Moon’s surface features can be viewed with the naked eye because it is often the largest and brightest object in the night sky. Whether through binoculars or a telescope, it’s one of the most fascinating celestial bodies to see. The Far vs. Near Side of the MoonContinue Reading

Night sky Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors

Aside from planets, our solar system has a large number of other objects. They can be as massive as Pluto or as little as a grain of sand, and are usually made of rock, ice, and dust. Asteroids Asteroids are tiny stony bodies found mostly between Mars and Jupiter inContinue Reading