Tips for an amateur astronomer?

Question

I want to study the stars just for fun because I recently became very intrigued. Does anyone have any tips? (Please no: "buy this and that" stuff)

Answer 1

I regularly receive questions from people who want to take up amateur astronomy as a hobby, but don't know how or where to start. I will try to give some tips and provide some useful resources for the beginning astronomer. The information is divided into four sections.

1. How to start with the basics of (theoretical) astronomy.
2. How to start with the basics of observing.
3. You want to learn more about astro-equipment.
4. You want to ask a (beginners) question about the basics of astronomy, observing, equipment etc.

Use the navigation bar above to go to the section(s) of your interest.

If you want to know more about a certain book mentioned in one of the sections, just click on the name, and it will take you to Amazon. There you will find more info on the book such as sample pages, book descriptions and reviews etc.

Before you dive into the different pages I would like to give a few general tips for novice astronomers.

Become a member of a local astronomy club. There you can talk with others about all the different aspects of amateur astronomy like equipment, observing, theoretical astronomy etc. You can join observer groups, attend beginner's courses etc.


Subscribe to an amateur astronomy magazine like Astronomy, Sky and Telescope or Astronomy Now. These astronomy magazines have major articles, observing tips, equipment tests, book- and software reviews, links to astronomy websites etc. In may/june 2004 a brandnew magazine for the beginning stargazer comes available, Night Sky.


Join one or more Internet discussion groups and forums like Yahoo! Groups, MSN Groups or Google Groups. There are hundreds of groups concerning amateur astronomy, but all with there own field of interest. In most groups you can post messages, ask questions, find links and files etc. In the sections 1 thru' 4 I will recommend a few groups in which I participate.


Browse through the Internet. There are thousands of web sites concerning astronomy. A good place to start is an astronomy link page. First of all have a look at my favorite astronomy links. Also visit Mike Boschat's Astronomy Page, Mel Bartel's amateur astronomy pages and AstronomyLINKS.
There are also some organisations with very informative websites that you should visit: The Astronomical League, The Society for Popular Astronomy and NASA (special sections for kids, students and educators).

Answer 2

Join your local astronomy club and go to their star parties. Register at http://www.cloudynights.com/ to ask questions, share your experiences, or just lurk. Yahoo! Groups has a number of good astronomy forums also: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/starrynights/ for observing, http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/telescopes/ for equipment, and other more specialized ones.

Read. "Nightwatch" was a good recommendation. "Burnham's Celestial Handbook" is three volumes full of descriptions, history, and lore. "Norton's Star Atlas" is both an atlas and an introductory astronomy text.

Get a planisphere (or the monthly star map from Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine) and a dim red flashlight, and see how many constellations you can identify. Lie back in a chaise longue with a pair of binoculars and cruise the Milky Way, or look for star clusters.

Answer 3

Read "NightWatch" by Terence Dickinson (Firefly). You don't have to buy it, because it should be in many libraries, but you might want to, because it is, in my opinion, the very best book for someone starting out in astronomy. Join an astronomy club; they're absolutely the best resources out there for learning about astronomy.

Answer 4

Take the lens cap off.

Answer 5

I do not want to be a astronaut.