Astronomy for beginners

Are you new to astronomy? Our beginners’ guides are filled with hints and tips to help you get started in observing the night sky.

How to see the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 21 December 2020. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Observing guide See the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 21 December 2020

The constellation of Orion. Credit: Chasing Light - Photography by James Stone james-stone.com

Thanksgiving stars: spend this year’s holiday with Orion

The Leonid meteor shower as seen from Lampang Thailand. Credit: NirutiStock / Getty Images

Leonids 2020 How to see this year's meteor shower

Eyepieces a beginner's guide

Telescope eyepieces: a beginner’s guide

Though the Moon completes an orbit of Earth in 27.3 days, it takes 29.5 to complete a cycle of phases due to our planet's motion around the Sun. Image Credit: iStock

Top sights to see on the Moon in November 2020

How to see Uranus, Mars and the other planets in the night sky, November 2020

Observing guide How to see the planets in the night sky: November 2020

Different astronomy equipment will provide a different field of view and give you a new perspective of the night sky. Credit: m-gucci / iStock / Getty Images Plus

What different astronomy equipment will reveal in the night sky

A Perseid meteor seen in the night sky above Corfe Castle, Dorset, United Kingdom, 12 August 2016. Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.

8 astronomy myths debunked

Have you come to astronomy new during lockdown? You'll need help choosing your first telescope. Credit: Mark Garlick / Science Photo Library

Astronomy in a pandemic: choosing your first telescope

How to collimate a Newtonian telescope

How to collimate a Newtonian telescope

How to spend your first night with a telescope. Credit: m-gucci / Getty Images

Your first night with a telescope

The orbital path of inferior planets. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

Inferior and superior planets: what’s the difference?

A good selection of coloured filters is a useful addition when observing Mars. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Telescope filters: a beginner’s guide

Orion Nebula upside down. Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team

Why does my telescope show everything upside down?

Albireo in Cygnus, imaged by Alexander Wilson.

Double stars and binary stars: a guide