| This article is for an anybody that wants to start | | | | moon and the planets. Things you can see once you |
| looking at stars, but don't know how or where to | | | | know where to find Jupiter, are the four biggest |
| start. If you read this, you will realize it is very easy | | | | moons. |
| and most important, it is cheap and you can do it | | | | Luck is also on your side as almost each school, but |
| without spending money. You will learn the first step | | | | certainly each town has a library. This is your best |
| towards this exciting adventure. | | | | resource for free literature on the stars, the Universe |
| So now that you know it won't cost you money, | | | | and the Solar System. Many of them have star |
| what do you need to be able to explore the | | | | charts in and it doesn't matter how old the book, the |
| Universe around our home planet? Not much but it is | | | | chart will always be correct. These are combinations |
| very good to have a star chart at hand. They can be | | | | of constellations. Constellations you'll recognize as |
| found in books that show you Star Charts or | | | | they are mostly spots representing stars and lines |
| something referring to the Zodiac. They also come in | | | | connecting the spots. Try to find Orion or the |
| different formats. From very simple ones with a few | | | | Southern Cross or Scorpio so that you get an idea of |
| stars and connecting lines between them to others | | | | how they look on paper and then go outside and see |
| that look like wheels. You can find them at any | | | | if you can find them in the sky. The Southern Cross |
| Planaterium or Observatory. The cheaper the better | | | | lies in the south and Orion you'll find pretty much |
| as you onlu need one to show you the brightest | | | | moving from East to West over your head as the |
| stars. The rest you can fill in yourself. | | | | night progresses. Just keep in mind that sometimes it |
| A tip is to never buy your kid a cheap telescope or | | | | won't be visible when you look for it. Then it will rise |
| let parents buy you a cheap telescope. Reason for | | | | later or in the early morning. |
| this is that it is far too difficult for a beginner to | | | | Do you need to read a lot I hear you ask? Not really, |
| actually find a star looking through a cheap scope. If | | | | but the moment you start to explore the stars, you |
| you manage to find one, the turning Earth will take it | | | | will want to know more about them, where they |
| out of sight so quickly that you will have to start | | | | come from and probably where they are going. This |
| looking for it from scratch. This will frustrate you and | | | | you can get in books written for children as this will |
| before the night is over the telescope will be back in | | | | give you the most elementary information. |
| its box. | | | | To summarize, you need at least a star chart and at |
| My second tip is a far cheaper option but one that | | | | least one eye and you are on the verge of |
| will bring many nights of star gazing. Lend, borrow or | | | | discovering the Universe. Only then do you need |
| buy a normal 10x50 set of binoculars. That is it as | | | | binoculars and once you know enough about the |
| you'll probably have one at home already. With this | | | | stars and how and why they move, then you can |
| you can view entire constellations, star clusters , the | | | | invest in a decent telescope. |