STEP 2: Get to Know the Sky

To begin, all you need are simple star charts, such as those in Chapter 4 of NightWatch (at right), or another aid, such as a planisphere, or star wheel (near right, above), or an app on your mobile device (I like SkySafari; far right, above).

Start by identifying Polaris (the North Star) and the brightest stars. Star patterns obvious from any suburban yard include the Big Dipper (visible any clear night from midnorthern latitudes), Cassiopeia (autumn), Orion (winter), Leo (spring) and Cygnus (summer). The charts in NightWatch use the Big Dipper and Orion as easy-to-locate patterns that point to other stars and constellations, helping to fill out the sky and make it a familiar place. 

With just naked-eye sessions, you’ll discover how the sky turns through a night and how the constellations change throughout the year. That’s a big step! 

STEP 4: Use Binoculars

Buy good-quality binoculars (Chapter 5 in NightWatch has advice on the best models), or dust off the binos you already own. They can show you a lot in the night sky. And their right-side-up views and wide fields make binoculars easy to aim.

Binoculars reveal amazing details on the Moon and can pick out the four main moons of Jupiter. Also visible in binoculars, even under suburban skies, are bright star clusters, such as the Beehive cluster in Cancer, and nebulas, such as the Orion Nebula, as well as the famous Andromeda Galaxy. 

To find most other deep-sky objects with binoculars, you’ll need a guide. Chapter 6 in NightWatch has charts that plot lots of suitable targets. Another good choice is the spiral-bound Binocular Highlights by Gary Seronik (Sky Publishing).

STEP 6: Find an Astronomy Club

Stargazing can be a solo pursuit, but you’ll get more out of the hobby in the company of others, either in person or through an astronomy club’s website or social media pages. Links to astronomy clubs and societies are listed on our Resources page.

Club meetings can be a source of inspiration and learning, as members present their astrophotos and describe their techniques and astronomers discuss their research. Better yet, you can chat with fellow stargazers.

Looking for a telescope? Many clubs have scopes that members can borrow or rent. Some clubs place small telescopes in city libraries for library members to check out as they would a book.

Even if you don’t join a club, you’ll find its public lectures and stargazing events invaluable. For example . . .

STEP 8: Attend a Rural Star Party

You could buy a telescope now, but I suggest you attend a star party or two first. These are typically weekend events held at a rural park or campground. Here, you can observe a range of celestial objects through a variety of scopes under a dark sky. Experienced observers often present laser-guided tours of the constellations, as shown here.

While the Moon and planets show well from the city, a dark site provides superior views of star clusters, nebulas and galaxies. You might be so taken with what you can see through a big scope under a dark sky that the experience will change your life. It could certainly alter your choice of telescope.

STEP 10: Look at the Moon. Find a Planet. Learn to Use a Star Atlas.

The Moon never fails to impress first-time telescope users. The planets are more challenging. Even magnified 150 times, planets look small — not at all like the spectacular images taken by spacecraft. But you’ll see Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s cloud belts — maybe even its Great Red Spot. 

If you want to hunt down faint deep-sky objects, even with a computerized GoTo scope that points automatically, buy a guidebook or star atlas. Chapter 6 in NightWatch has excellent charts of selected sky areas, each of which contains lots to see. The annotated charts will help you select worthy targets. To start, avoid the temptation of astrophotography. Just enjoy learning about and exploring the sky with a simple, good-quality telescope that’s quick to set up and easy to use. 

TIP 2: Check the Prices

Amazon might be the first place you try. Search for “Telescope,” and you’ll get loads of similar-looking, plastic junk scopes on flimsy tripods. They come with poor-quality eyepieces and 3x Barlow lenses whose only purpose is to meet the claims of outrageously high power. Don’t fall for the bogus hype. High-power images of celestial objects will be dim and fuzzy — and very hard to keep centered.  

You’ll also find telescopes (again, usually junk) listed at ridiculously high prices, such as the models you see here. Less reputable sellers can ask whatever they want for their scopes, knowing that the glitzy-looking (but useless) doodads and overblown claims will convince some people to part with their money. 

To see good-quality telescopes and their prices, go to the websites of reputable telescope companies and their dealers (Chapter 5 mentions many companies by name). When it comes time to buy, purchase from one of those dealers, either online or locally, if there’s a shop near you. Dealers provide invaluable service before and after the sale. And chances are, their prices will compete with the best on Amazon.

TIP 4: Don’t Fret over Refractor vs. Reflector

There are two basic types of telescopes: refractors, which use a main lens to gather light, and reflectors, which use a main mirror to do the same thing. Ask participants on Facebook or other discussion forums which is better, and you’re bound to incite endless debates. Every type and brand has its fans — and detractors. 

Refractors (at near right) are compact, durable and easy to maintain; reflectors (far right) are a bit complicated optically but offer more aperture for the money. As discussed in Chapter 5 of NightWatch, either style can provide excellent celestial views and years of satisfying use. Despite what fans on Facebook might insist, there is no “best” telescope.

The best scope for you depends on your budget, observing site and personal circumstances. 

TIP 6: Consider Your Site

Entranced by specs and features, first-time buyers often forget to consider one key factor: Where will the telescope be used? If your primary observing site is a light-polluted suburban yard, then the Moon and planets will be your main targets. A scope larger than 6 inches (150mm) in aperture isn’t crucial at home — nor is it practical for transporting. Even a 6-inch might not fit into the family car with the family on board.

If you reside in a darker rural location, however, you may not have to haul your scope far. In fact, you may be able to observe all sorts of faint clusters, nebulas and galaxies from just beyond your doorstep. If this is the case, then by all means go for something larger — perhaps a 10-inch (250mm) reflector that can show such objects well.

But in built-up locales, smaller is better. A compact refractor or reflector can be carried outside more quickly when the sky clears and easily moved around the yard to avoid trees or lights. If you’re viewing from an apartment balcony, then a “tabletop” scope or a short-focus instrument on a tripod is a good choice.

TIP 8: Temper Your Expectations

We all love the impressive images from the various planetary probes and the Hubble and Webb Space Telescopes, and the digital astrophotos taken by amateur astronomers are sensational. Lured by all that color and detail, some prospective buyers expect that’s what they’ll see when they look through a telescope.

Sorry . . . but even when viewed with a good-quality telescope, planets (such as Jupiter and four of its moons, at near right) are quite small, and nebulas (such as the Orion Nebula, far right) are colorless. Deep-sky objects aren’t bright enough to excite the color receptors in your eye. 

Discover what a telescope can show by attending a public star party staged by a local astronomy club, planetarium, science museum, nature center or university observatory (see 10 Steps to Success, above). You might be impressed — or not! Either way, it’s free. A hastily chosen telescope is not. 

Chapters 6 through 9 in NightWatch provide information, along with illustrations, about what you can expect to see through a small telescope. 

TIP 10: Forget Photography, Please 

Yes, the prospect of doing astrophotography can be enticing. You may already own a good digital camera and want a telescope to complement it. Then you’d have excellent views of celestial objects and be able to attach your camera to take fabulous photos, right?

Unfortunately, a proper rig for astrophotography (such as the array of equipment shown at right) can cost $2,000 or more, as I explain in Chapter 11 of NightWatch. And the best telescope for imaging is often not the best model for visual observing — and is certainly not within the budget of most novices. Conversely, entry-level scopes don’t have mounts and motor drives good enough for the long exposures needed for most astrophotography. On some beginner reflectors, a camera won’t even reach focus. 

When starting off in amateur astronomy, my advice is to keep it simple. Just enjoy observing with your telescope. That alone will open up a vast universe of exploration that you’ll never exhaust in of lifetime viewing.

However, if you’re ready to image the night sky, NightWatch provides advice on how you can get started. The key to success is to take it one step at a time — from trying easy techniques with the camera gear you already own to mastering the sophisticated setup you see here.