Astronomy for Beginners
New to astronomy? Not sure how to get started in stargazing or which telescope to buy?
Here’s where you’ll find observing guides, how-to articles and great astronomy hints and tips. Don’t forget to check out our comprehensive astronomy dictionary.
General Guides
'How To' Guides
Astronomy Dictionary
Local group
A gathering of 36 nearby galaxies, including the Milky Way, make up the local group. The Andromeda Galaxy and M33 are both in our local group.
Finderscope
The small, low-power telescope that is attached parallel to the main telescope tube. It is used to initially locate celestial objects as it has a wider field of view than the main tube.
Pancam camera
This is the high-resolution stereo panoramic camera (pancam) that the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity are equipped with. It is used to give a geological overview of a region and to navigate the martian surface, as well as to choose what places are potentially interesting for the science instruments to study.
