We are a printed forum of the activities relating to Amateur Astronomers around the world. Our magazine is written by amateur astronomers, for amateur astronomers. Over the course of the past 27 years, we have covered telescopes, large and small, amateur telescope making ATM , mirror grinding, collimating tips, observing techniques, astronomical equipment reviews, home observatories, professional observatories, observing lists, profiles of amateur astronomers, star parties, dark sites, imaging tips and techniques, observing logs, astronomical travel logs, astronomy businesses and their owners, DIY astronomical projects, cosmology, science and astronomy outreach. In short, we are about all the things and people that make this hobby special. Follow us on Facebook. For those unfamiliar, we offer two versions of our magazine. The print version is black and white, printed on high quality gloss paper with an 80 lb glossy UV coated cover and perfect binding. We mail it in a protective envelope to do our best to deliver it in pristine condition. This version runs 72 pages. The digital version is in color and offered as a PDF for use on any device.
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Learn the Night Sky with the Unaided Eye
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Choosing Your Astronomy Equipment. By: Alan MacRobert August 1, 2. You can unsubscribe anytime. Craters on the Moon with binoculars? Countless wonders await you any clear night. The first step in astronomy for beginners is simply to look up and ask, "What's that?
This page lists selected sources of reference material, including books, magazines, computer software, web sites, societies and distance-learning courses, for people interested in taking up astronomy as a hobby. It is particularly aimed at UK residents. Astronomy can be a fascinating and rewarding pastime, whether you have a substantial telescope and accessories such as a CCD camera, or are a beginner observing with the naked eye. It is one of the few sciences where amateurs make genuine contributions to research, but many observers simply do it for the excitement of seeing with their own eyes the planets, star clusters, nebulae and so on that are familiar from books. Observing directly by eye with an amateur telescope, it is not possible to see most astronomical objects with the amount of detail and colour captured in the images recorded by large professional instruments. However, many experienced amateurs make beautiful drawings at the telescope, and some achieve spectacular results with photography and CCD imaging. For anyone completely new to astronomy, the first step is to become familiar with the night sky, how it changes through the night and season by season, and how it varies according to the observer's latitude. A planisphere or "star wheel" , monthly sky guide, or computer software will help with this. The next step may be to get some sort of optical aid. Keep in mind that good views of faint or diffuse astronomical objects will never be obtained from poor sites, such as urban locations.
