Get into stargazing
Start off on the right foot with our full guide
Acommon astronomy myth is that you need a telescope to be an astronomer. This is something that beginners to astronomy often hear when they’re asking for advice on breaking into the hobby. It’s true that a telescope can show you much more than the naked eye, or even a pair of binoculars, but the truth is, you don’t really need a telescope to enjoy the night sky. What’s even better is that getting involved in astronomy is absolutely free.
A beginner will often be advised to simply use their eyes to familiarise themselves with the night sky – most likely with the aid of a star map or a planisphere. In general, even if you’re looking to buy a telescope at a later date, learning your way around is essential. Of course, if you’re happy to use the bare minimum of tools available to you, then you’ll be pleased to know that there’s plenty you can see with the unaided eye.
Before you head outside there are a variety of things you should be aware of to get the most out of stargazing. First, you should allow your eyes to adapt to the dark to observe the fainter targets, and second, you should ensure that you’ve chosen the darkest site possible. Any light pollution is sure to make taking in the night sky difficult. While the Moon is one of the best targets for naked-eye and binocular-wielding astronomers, it is also a source of light pollution, and must be at its new phase or a slim crescent to cause minimum interference.
Finding yourself under untouched skies is a breathtaking experience, and you’ll be amazed what you can see with the unaided eye. Star clusters, such as the Pleiades, are easily detectable, as is the star-forming region known as the Orion Nebula. The dusty path of the Milky Way is easily seen from a dark location. A cheap star guide or planisphere will help you to find these targets, but given that they are so readily visible, you’re likely to find that you’ll see them straight away. Astronomy really doesn’t come at a cost at this stage.
It’s not until you decide to get some magnification in your hands that money gets involved, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Provided you choose wisely, your first pair of binoculars, or indeed your first telescope, can last you for years, and could even serve as a trusty backup to a later purchase.
“Before you head outside there are a variety of things you should be aware of to get the most out of stargazing”
In theory your eyes can see down to a faint magnitude +6.0 under outstanding night-sky conditions – and, of course, with very good eyesight. That means that it’s possible for you to see at least 9,000 stars all at once. When you’re under the darkest of skies, it isn’t just stars that will become obvious to you – there are galaxies, planets and star clusters making themselves known if you know where to look. While using a telescope or a pair of binoculars as well as observing filters will enhance your experience, knowing that you can see for thousands of light years is very rewarding.
We’ve already established that you need to let your eyes adapt to the dark and that you should avoid light pollution and cloudy skies, but there are other measures you should take to get the best out of your naked-eye astronomy experience. You should avoid alcohol and nicotine since they both depress the darkadaption response of the eye.
The best time to get involved in observing is near the time of the new Moon so that you’re not battling light pollution in order to seek out nightsky treasures. You should also aim to choose an area that has a good horizon and is devoid of obstructions such as houses, trees, mountains and hills.
No doubt that under the best skies you can get to, you’ll most likely want to see as much as your eyes and conditions allow. Remember that you’re likely to see planets and stars much more easily than galaxies and nebulae, even if they have the same magnitude. This is because these extended objects are much more diffuse than Solar System objects, which appear as concentrated points of light.
As the seasons wheel from one to the next, you’ll find that the constellations will start to become familiar. During the evenings of winter, spring, summer and autumn, you might find the constellations and asterisms of Orion, the
Big Dipper, the Summer Triangle and the Great Square of Pegasus with ease. You can use these familiar areas as signposts to find your way around the night sky.