This is the first in a series of articles designed to assist those who are just starting out in astronomy. These articles might be equally instructive to others who have been trying for a few years to use their telescopes but have trouble finding objects that should be easy to locate. Though full of desire and enthusiasm for stargazing, they may have just gotten off on the wrong foot.

“put away your telescope”

It does you no good to have a new telescope and a bunch of star atlases if you cannot find your way around the sky. My suggestion is this: put away your telescope at first and just learn the sky. If the temptation to use your equipment is too great, take your telescope out when the Moon is bright. Gaze at the Moon or at the easy-to-find planets of Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. Then put away your telescope for the rest of the month and continue with this first lesson.

The first and most important step in learning the sky is to study the constellations. A good knowledge of the constellations is essential in order to learn how to starhop from object to object, an art that will be explained in a later lesson.

Purchase a simple star book that has constellation charts. Observing the Constellations by John Sanford or The Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky by Mark R. Chartrand are two good choices. You should also buy a planisphere and a spiral notebook or other blank journal.

The only instruments you will need besides your eyes will be a pair of binoculars and a flashlight with a red lens. Just about any pair of binoculars you have will do for now. Before you purchase new binoculars that you expect to use in the future for more advanced stargazing, ask an experienced astronomer for buying tips.

“Don't expect to learn all the constellations at once”

You might have difficulty picking out the constellation stars from the rest in a rich, star-filled sky. So begin at a site that is not pitch black. After you learn the constellations is the time to go to the better sites away from the city.

Go at your own pace. At first, study one or two new constellations a night, using your constellation chartbook as a guide. Learn their stars well and take the time with your binoculars to enjoy the general sky within each constellation. Your naked eye will be sufficient to find and learn some of the bright constellations such as Orion, Ursa Major, and Cassiopeia. You will need binoculars to see the dim ones such as Lacerta, Camelopardalis, and Cancer. Finally, you will use both the naked eye and binoculars to see constellations containing both bright and dim stars.

Don't expect to learn all the constellations at once. Many constellations are visible at night only during a particular season. Plan on taking nearly a year to learn all the ones visible in this part of the northern hemisphere. Some constellations in the southern hemisphere, of course, are not viewable here at any time.

STEP TWO: LEARNING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE CONSTELLATIONS THROUGH THE SKY