In his classic autobiography "Starlight Nights," Leslie Peltier once noted: "Learning the stars is a pure delight and there are many pleasant ways to do it. No true stargazer will fail to become familiar with the constellations and fortunate is he whose introduction to the skies comes to him through nature's eyes alone and not through any telescope. So few of those who use the eyepiece first ever get to really know the stars."

Peltier's point: If you're just getting started in astronomy, the best thing to do is to first spend some time under the stars with just your eyes and get acquainted with the brighter stars and constellations.

The best way to do this is to purchase a good sky guide and star chart. Just as you might consult a travel book when sightseeing in an unfamiliar city, a good book on stargazing or a simple finder chart will go a long way to help you familiarize yourself with the night sky. When consulting a sky chart be sure to use a dim red light or a red-filtered flashlight; that way your eyes stay dark-adapted (white light will shrink the pupils of your eyes). Use red cellophane or red plastic across the front of the flashlight lens.

Frank Schiralli of Northport, NY suggests subscribing to one of the popular astronomy magazines (such as Astronomy or Sky & Telescope) so you are alerted to interesting astronomical events. And you can visit SPACE.com each Friday, when notable upcoming events are highlighted.

With no optical aids, you can enjoy a wide variety of objects such as the Moon and the five naked-eye planets, not to mention occasional meteor showers and the passage of artificial satellites and even, if you're lucky, the colorful aurora.

Naked-eye astronomy is also especially rewarding if you're observing with children, who no doubt will pepper you with questions about the various stars and constellations.