Welcome to Astronomy: Getting Started

News
By Space.com Staff
published

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 articles and guides in this section will steer you in the right direction.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0 Welcome to Astronomy
Sky charts, telescope advice, Moon map and more. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
>Click Here
Row 1 - Cell 0

Skywatcher's Guide to the Moon
How much do you know about the Moon?
>Click Here

Row 2 - Cell 0

Understanding the Ecliptic and the Zodiac
Of the imaginary coordinate lines that astronomers and navigators use in mapping the sky, perhaps the most important one is the ecliptic.
>Click Here

Row 3 - Cell 0

The 10 Brightest Stars
Stars come in different colors, sizes, shapes and ages. One trait that makes a star unique is its brightness.
>Click Here

Tourist Guide to the Milky Way
The Irish novelist George Moore once wrote, "a man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.
>Click Here

Row 5 - Cell 0

Star Party Survival Guide
Guide to how to attend a star party, or do's and dont's of stargazing.
>Click Here

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.