Astronomy DIY

Raspberry pi meteor detector. Credit: Mary McIntyre

Set up a Raspberry Pi meteor detector

Fitting a guiding system to your setup isn’t crucial for beginners, but a sturdy mount is. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Build a guidescope using an old camera lens

How to collimate a Newtonian telescope

How to collimate a Newtonian telescope

With the dome section added, the observatory really begins to take shape. Credit: Mark Parrish

How to build a home observatory

How to take care of your telescope

How to take care of your telescope

Attaching two scopes to a side-by-side bar is more stable than simply piggybacking them.

How to set up a dual astrophotography imaging system

Make your own LED torch-pointer. Credit: Steve Tonkin

Make your own LED torch-pointer

Use your own back garden as a Stellarium landscape

Stellarium: how to create a customised landscape

Paul's finished sketch of Jupiter. Credit: Paul Abel

How to draw Jupiter

Without preventative measures, dew can make your optics unusable. Credit: Martin Lewis

How can I stop dew forming on my telescope?

Try our 6 astronomy experiments you can do at home using household objects. Credit: Michael Moltenbrey

6 simple astronomy experiments you can do at home

For those of us unable to see the aurorae, there’s another way to experience the effects of the solar wind on Earth’s atmopshere. Credit: Getty Images

Can’t see the aurora? You can detect it with a homemade magnetometer

The finished smartphone finderscope. Follow our guide to make your own. Credit: Mark Parrish

Build a smartphone finderscope for your telescope

An astronomical quadrant is both fun and educational. Credit: Mark Parrish

Build your own astronomical quadrant

Red-image

How to turn your iPhone screen red for astronomy