The sky at night is magical, alluring and often bewildering—which is why this first section of this publication is all about helping you learn the basics. Starting with the stars themselves, we will explain how these points of light are categorized by astronomers, why they sometimes shimmer or twinkle and how to use the constellations as signposts to find your way around and locate the denizens of the deep sky: star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. We also introduce a way of looking at the stars as a sphere around us with the Earth at the center—a very useful approach for mapping the night sky and for keeping track of the heavens above. Once you have these fundamentals under your belt, you are guaranteed to get more out of stargazing. We’ve put together some practical advice on what you can do on your first night outside, top tips all beginners need to know and how to deal with light pollution. Pick up a copy and begin your Stargazing adventure.
