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Astronomy

What astronomy is, how to get started, what telescope to buy, top tips for stargazing beginners and how to take your practical astronomy further.
Get to a good, dark location away from light pollution and you will see so many more stars. Credit: Carlos Fernandez
Skills

12 top tips for stargazing

A sense of wonder: from a dark-sky site a wealth of deep-sky objects can be seen even with the naked eye, including the Milky Way, Orion Nebula and star clusters such as the Pleiades and Hyades. Credit: Mixetto/iStock/Getty Images
Skills

Deep-sky astronomy: a beginner’s guide

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Skills

13 things new stargazers should know

Woman with telescope under winter night sky
Skills

10 common astronomy mistakes

Ben Gadsby-Williams took this image of a meteor shower on 12 August 2016 from Brograve Mill in Norfolk, showing the importance of a good location to astrophotography. Ben says:
Advice

A beginner’s guide to meteor showers

A Venus Moon captured on 26 February 2014. Credit: Mary McIntyre
Skills

20 night-sky objects to observe in 2020

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What astronomy equipment to buy

The best telescopes for kids and young astronomers. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Top astro kit

Best telescopes for kids

Celestron Omni XLT AZ 102 Refractor/basic mount
Top astro kit

Best beginners' telescopes

Man looking at the stars with telescope beside him. Credit: iStock
Advice

How to choose your first telescope

The Northern Lights seen over the village of Verkhnetulomsky in Russia. Photo by Lev Fedoseyev\TASS via Getty Images
Skills

Aurora: the science of the Northern Lights, and how to see them

Browse our equipment reviews

Where to go for amazing views of the night sky

Dunkery Beacon in Exmoor National Park is one of many places in the UK where beautiful vistas of the night sky can be seen. Credit: Keith Trueman
Skills

12 of the best places to stargaze in the UK

A starry skyscape: The Grand Canyon at night.
Skills

11 of the best places for stargazing and astronomy in the USA

Credit: Jesse Beaman / Stargazing Scotland
Advice

The best places to stargaze in Scotland

The Milky Way arches over Llyn y Dywarchen lake, Snowdonia National Park. Credit: Matt Gibson / Getty Images
Advice

The best places to stargaze in Wales

A sense of wonder: from a dark-sky site a wealth of deep-sky objects can be seen even with the naked eye, including the Milky Way, Orion Nebula and star clusters such as the Pleiades and Hyades. Credit: Mixetto/iStock/Getty Images
Skills

Deep-sky astronomy: a beginner’s guide

Ireland offers plenty of opportunity to combine raw natural beauty with crystal clear skies; this serene scene is part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park. Credit: iStock
Skills

The best places for stargazing in Ireland

More astronomy travel guides

Get involved in the astronomy community

The best way to learn is to meet other astronomers
Credit: Cheltenham Science Festival
Advice

The best UK science festivals for astronomy

Solarsphere is one of the UK's best known star parties, and takes place annually in August in the beautiful Welsh countryside. Credit: Pete Williamson
Advice

UK and Ireland star parties: a guide to the best stargazing events

A good telescope combined with excellent viewing conditions away from light pollution will give you incredible views of the night sky. Credit: iStock
Advice

Amateur astronomy societies in the UK and Ireland: a guide

Astrocamp in the Brecon Beacons is an event run by passionate astronomers, located under some of the best dark skies in the UK Credit: Jamie Carter
Skills

Star parties: a guide to attending an astronomy event

Practical astronomy advice

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

How can I stop dew forming on my telescope?

Clouds can be the bane of amateur astronomers' lives. But how can you tell when good stargazing conditions are approaching? Credit: UniversalImagesGroup / Contributor / Getty Images
Skills

Astronomy weather forecasts: predicting the weather for stargazing

Man looking through telescope. Credit: Panther Media GMBH/Alamy Stock Photo
Buyer's Guides

A buyer’s guide to telescopes: getting the most from your equipment

Slooh's Chile setup. Credit: Slooh Observatory
Skills

Armchair astrophotography: how to use a remote telescope

Astronomy camping during Salisbury Star Party, August 2010. Credit: Jon Hicks
Skills

What to bring on an astronomy camping trip

Twinkling stars are an anathema to astronomers, as they are a sure sign of poor seeing. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Advice

What is astronomical seeing?

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The science of astronomy

Lines in the Sun’s spectrum show which wavelengths of light have been absorbed by its atmosphere. Credit: N.A.Sharp/NOAO/NSO/Kitt Peak FTS/AURA/NSF, Eads Astrium.
Science

Splitting starlight: the science of spectroscopy

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Science

A guide to galaxies

The Pleiades, as seen through a telescope. This cluster is known as 'The Seven Sistsers' in Greek and also Aboriginal mythology. NASA, ESA, AURA/Caltech, Palomar Observatory The science team consists of: D. Soderblom and E. Nelan (STScI), F. Benedict and B. Arthur (U. Texas), and B. Jones (Lick Obs.)
Science

Stars: a beginner’s guide

An eye-shaped nebula, the remains of a star forming molecular cloud that is being torn apart by the supergiant at it's center. The glowing parts of the planet's atmosphere in the lower left are portions of atmosphere that were ionized either because of meteorite impacts or massive volcanic eruptions. This is a young planetary system, still in the heavy bombardment stage of its formation, so impacts are still very common. The ring of glowing debris around the planet are the remains of it's other moons, which were obliterated in a series of collisions.
Science

How did the Solar System form?