Gazing At The Stars

Star gazing is a wonderful way to pass the time and to start it can be done almost at no cost but what do you need to begin this? Hopefully this article will be able to help. So, what is it exactly you need to carry out this fantastic and addictive pastime? Initially you will need to obtain a star chart from a book or try the internet although some people just use a book that contains images of the astrological zodiac. When you find a chart make sure it is easy to read and doesn't contain too many stars, at least not when you are new to the subject. You can find them at any Planetarium or Observatory and the cheaper the better as you only need one to show you the brightest stars because the rest you can fill in yourself.

If you intend to spend any money on a telescope, do not buy a cheap one - it really will be waste of money and won't help you enjoy your new interest at all. Even if you buy one, the revolving earth would make the star disappear in such a split second that you would continue your search from the beginning all over again. This exercise is so exasperating that you might end up viewing through your telescope all night long and finally decide to put it away in the box where it belongs.

My second tip is a far cheaper option but one that will bring many nights of star gazing and all you need to do here is lend, borrow or buy a normal 10x50 set of binoculars. This can enable you to view the total constellation, the star bunches, the moon along with several other planets. As for information, other than the internet of course just about every library will have a number of books on star gazing but so will your local school so you will not be short of help. Most of these books contain star charts and even if the book is from an old edition, it does not matter as the chart is always relevant. Your first assignment is to look for Orion or the Southern Cross or Scorpio and see how they look on print and then go outside and check out whether they are locatable. While the Southern Cross, as the name suggests lies in the South, the Orion can be seen traveling from the East to the West, as night passes. Remember that it may not always be noticeable because it may appear early or later in the morning.

Do you need to read a lot I hear you ask? Not really, but the moment you start to explore the stars, you will want to know more about them, where they come from and probably where they are going. Such information is available in plenty in children's' books which are full of some rudimentary information on the subject. All you need to begin this adventure called star gazing is a star chart and at least in the early days this should be enough for you to get an idea if it's something you want to pursue further. Only then do you need binoculars and once you know enough about the stars and how and why they move, then you can invest in a decent telescope.