Astronomy for beginners

Beginners guides, hints and tips to help you get started in the world of astronomy.

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

Photo of the night sky over Glenridding, UK. Credit: Alan Graham / EyeEm / Getty Images

Observing guide Best autumn constellations

Aurora header

13 things new stargazers should know

Understanding the limits of your telescope. Credit: m-gucci / Getty images

Understanding the limits of your telescope

A pair of binoculars may be all you need to get started in astronomy. Credit: VW Pics / Contributor / Getty Images

5 top tips for binocular astronomy

A panorama showing the Milky Way (centre) and planets. Mars is bright to the left, Saturn is dimmer and bright Jupiter is right. The arcing line joining the planets defines the arc of the ecliptic. Credit: Alan Dyer / Stocktrek Images / Getty Images

What is the ecliptic?

Þ The coolest stars are red with surface temperatures around 3,000°C and the hottest are white at a toasty 40,000°C. Credit: Christian Darkin / Science Photo Library

The colour of stars

Durdle Door in Dorset, UK A nightscape capture of the Milky Way is a great opportunity to try your processing skills. Credit: Schroptschop / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Observing guide How to see the Milky Way

Stars in Southern Hemisphere night sky, looking towards the centre of the Milky Way. Credit: Kim Westerskov / Getty Images

Stellar magnitudes: how to measure stars’ brightness