Understanding the sky
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"Smithys" Astronomy Site
For Scouts
Where to
begin?
Most people with an interest in the stars will say their first time wonder was when they stared at the sky under a clear night sky. Some have seen it all before but had no interest until the first time that someone showed them the wonders of space through a telescope.
Starting out
Many people think of astronomy as requiring a costly high magnification telescope. In fact the simplest and often most enjoyable astronomy can be done with just your eyes. The motions of the planets, Moon and constellations have fascinated people for centuries and are all basic observations that require no equipment.
Familiarise yourself with the sky. This usually begins with learning to identify the brightest stars, the more obvious constellations (such as Orion, the zodiac constellations, the Southern Cross), and other bright naked eye objects such as the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. You may find a bright comet or meteor shower can be viewed for a few weeks, and the planets will move over the months among the constellations. All you needs to view these types of objects is some patience, a basic guidebook, and a cloudless night sky!
Once you understand how the sky rotates, it is easier to understand the more complex concepts of orbits, precession, stellar evolution and cosmology, which are all part of the modern science of astronomy.
The use of binoculars is a good first step and reveals a wealth of detail under a dark sky, including Jupiter's moons, lunar features, star clusters and the brighter nebulae. The higher magnification provided by binoculars or a low power telescope also make it easy to get lost among the constellations so a star atlas or guidebook is always handy.