Stargazing is a hobby that lets you explore the wonders of the night sky with your own eyes. You can see planets, stars, constellations, and even galaxies from your backyard or a dark location. Stargazing can relax you, inspire you, and teach you about astronomy and science. To get started, all you need is a clear night, a star map or an app, and optionally binoculars or a telescope.
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Stargazing
as a hobby
AKA: Astronomy.
No sight is more provocative of awe than is the night sky.
Llewelyn Powys
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Helpful content to start stargazing as a hobby
We aim to provide accurate information, but errors might be found. Always exercise judgment and discretion.
📼 Videos
Short visual inspiration.
🎙️ Podcasts
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Stargazing can inspire you to learn more about astronomy, physics, math and other sciences.
📜 Terms
Basic lingo for orientation.
- Asterism: Any prominent star pattern that isn’t a whole constellation, such as the Northern Cross or the Big Dipper.
- Asteroid: A solid body orbiting the Sun that consists of metal and rock.
- Celestial Coordinates: A grid system for locating things in the sky. It’s anchored to the celestial poles (directly above Earth’s north and south poles) and the celestial equator (directly above Earth’s equator).
- Collimation: Aligning the optical elements of a telescope so that they all point in the proper direction.
- Comet: A small body of ice and dust that orbits the Sun. When a comet approaches the Sun, some of its material vaporizes, forming a coma and a tail that point away from the Sun due to the solar wind.
- Constellation: A group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the sky. There are 88 official constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union.
- Eclipse: An event in which one celestial body passes into the shadow of another, or blocks the light from another.
- Light Year: A unit of distance and is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum during a Julian year. In astronomy, a Julian year (symbol: a) is a time unit defined as exactly 365.25 days of 86,400 seconds each.
- Galaxy: A large collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter held together by gravity. There are billions of galaxies in the observable universe, each containing millions to trillions of stars.
- Star party: A gathering of amateur astronomers for the purpose of observing objects and events in the sky.
❗ How to start stargazing as a hobby
First moves for getting acquainted and breaking the ice.
- Find the next astronomical event or the next new moon phase on the calendar.
- Download a stargazing app.
- Find either a dark-sky place for stargazing, an observatory, a stargazing meetup, or a star party near you.
- Many things can be seen with the naked eye. If you want to enhance your experience, consider buying binoculars.
📚 Books
Get read-y.
🪜 How-tos
Step-by-step tutorials.
Adding Phases of the Moon to Your Google Calendar: A Step-by-Step Guide for Better Stargazing
The moon’s phase affects the brightness of the night sky and your stargazing experience. By adding the phases of the moon to your calendar, you can plan your stargazing sessions for the darkest nights. Here are the steps to add Phases of the Moon to your Google Calendar:
- Open Google Calendar and browse calendars of interest
Open Google Calendar on your web browser. On the left sidebar, click on the plus icon next to Other calendars and select Browse calendars of interest from the drop-down menu.
- Check Phases of the Moon under Other
Scroll to the bottom of the page. Under Other, check the box for Phases of the Moon. Once done, click the Go back arrow.
- Make sure the Phases of the Moon calendar is displayed
To view the Phases of the Moon calendar, make sure it is checked under Other calendars. You can also change the color of the calendar by clicking on the three dots icon next to it and selecting a color.
- Verify moon phase events are showing
Search for the next moon phase event. You might need to scroll a bit to the future.
📄 Articles
Further reading.
🌐 Websites
Go-tos for information.
- Skywatching Home | What’s Up: Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA Solar System Exploration
- Night Sky – Stargazing and Night Sky Watching | Space.com
- Stellarium Web Online Star Map
- Sky & Telescope | Astronomy News, Tools & Resources – Sky & Telescope
- Astronomical Events — Astronomy Calendar | Time and Date
When life gets too overwhelming, just look up at the night sky and lose yourself for a while.
Deborah Ten Brink
🍿 Movies
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❓ FAQS
Get a clue.
When is the best time to stargaze?
The best time to stargaze is when the sky is clear, dark, and moonless. You can add the phases of the moon to your calendar as a reminder and to help you plan your stargazing. You can also check the astronomical events calendar to find out when there are interesting phenomena such as eclipses, conjunctions, transits, etc.
Where is the best place to stargaze?
The best place to stargaze is a dark and clear location with a wide view of the horizon. You can use a dark sky map to find such a place and check the moon’s phases, weather, and events. You can also join a local astronomy club or society that may have star parties or events in dark-sky places.
What equipment do I need to stargaze?
You don’t need any equipment to stargaze, just your eyes and curiosity. However, you can enhance your experience with some basic tools such as binoculars and a red torch, and a stargazing app. If you want to see more details you can invest in a telescope.
How do I find constellations and planets in the sky?
You can use a stargazing app to identify the constellations and planets in the sky. You can also use some landmarks such as the North Star, the Big Dipper, or Orion to orient yourself in the sky.
📱 Apps
Smart assistance.
📦 Products
Essentials to have.
⛳ Courses
Get smart.
📍 Near You
Get together.
- Dark Sky Map: Best Locations for Stargazing
- Find a Dark Sky Place – International Dark-Sky Association
- Light Pollution Atlas 2006, 2016 and 2020
- Astronomy Clubs & Organizations Near Me | Sky & Telescope
- Stargazing Events Near You
- Star Party Events Near You
- Astronomy Events Near You
- Observatories Near You
- Astronomy groups | Meetup
Stargazing can make you travel back in time by seeing the light from distant stars and galaxies that left them millions or even billions of years ago. For example, when you look at the Andromeda Galaxy, you are seeing it as it was 2.5 million years ago, when our ancestors were Australopithecus. This is because light has a finite speed and takes time to reach us from far away.
💡 Tips
Additional advice for beginners.
- Add the phases of the moon to your calendar. It can be a constant reminder and helper for planning your stargazing sessions.
Additional information
| Activities | |
|---|---|
| Fields | Education, Environment, History and Culture, Science and Technology, Spirituality |
| Locations | Abroad, Anywhere, Countryside, Home, Mountain, Nature, Outdoor, Social Club |
| Participants | |
| Skills | Attention to Detail, Concentration, Cultural Awareness, General Knowledge, Imagination, Memory, Mindfulness, Patience, Perseverance, Planning, Research |