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Welcome to our astronomy observing guides. We hope this section gives you the information you need to get started observing the night sky. Here, we will detail how to use our observation guides best.
We highly recommend that you read and understand all of the information on this page before proceeding to the guides. This will help you get the most out of your observing sessions
After the list of current guides, we will detail what the observation guides cover and provide other valuable information. This will give you a good understanding of how to use them.
To aid you we link to many objects in the web version of Stellarium. This is a free planetarium software. We will give you information about the program and show you how to check that the settings are correct. It is also possible to install Stellarium software on your computer. In the section on Stellarium we will show you how. Likewise, for your phone.
Lastly, we provide some important information on getting started and getting the most out of your observing sessions.
Here is the list of our current observing guides. This new section of the website will be built over the next year. We aim to provide guides before the start of each period.
Observing Guide for November and December 2024
Observing Guide for January and February 2025
Observing Guide for March and April 2025 (available from February)
Observing Guide for May and June 2025 (available from April)
Observing Guide for July and August 2025 (available from June)
Observing Guide for September and October 2025 (available from August)
Each of our guides covers two months. The majority of the objects detailed in the guides can be viewed in the early part of the night during the months covered by the guide. In the early part of the period, the objects will rise later in the night and early later in the period.
Earlier in the covered period, you may be able to view some of the objects contained in the previous guide. For example, in early January, you can also utilize the guide for November and December. Likewise, later in the period, you may also use the next period if you observe later into the night.
Each of the guides includes information on the following:
The key constellations section contains information on important constellations visible early at night for the given period. These constellations will be visible to most people in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Along with information on each constellation, observable objects are listed. Furthermore, the objects are identified if they are visible to the naked eye, using binoculars or if a telescope is required.
For most objects, a link is provided to the object in the web version of Stellarium. This will help you locate the object in the night sky (make sure you read the guide on using Stellarium below).
Two sections are provided for the celestial pole regions: one for the north and one for the south. The structure of this section is similar to that of the constellation section. Links are provided in the same fashion.
Obviously, the north celestial pole region is only visible to those in the northern hemisphere and the south celestial pole in the southern hemisphere. How much of the region you can see depends on how far you live from the equator.
A complete Moon phase cycle takes about 19.5 days. Understanding the current moon phase is important for observing the moon because dimmer objects are difficult or impossible to view during a full moon.
This section details when the Moon’s phase is new, first quarter, full or last quarter. When the Moon is at one of the quarters, it is a half-moon, so don’t get confused.
Knowing these dates can aid in your observing planning.
As the name suggests, this section contains information on the planets and when they can be observed. We do not provide any links for these as you will get better location information by searching from them in planetarium software.
The section will detail if a planet is in apparent retrograde motion.
This section provides information on lunar and solar eclipses. However, some periods may not have either.
Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth comes between the Sun and Moon.
The more dramatic solar eclipses occur when the Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun.
Conjunctions occur when objects appear close together in our sky. Common conjunctions occur between planets in our solar system and between the planets and our Moon.
Links are provided to these events, but be aware that their closest approach may be at a different time for you and may appear different depending on your location.
Conjunctions occur when objects appear close together in our sky. Common conjunctions occur between planets in our solar system and between the planets and our Moon.
Links are provided to these events, but be aware that their closest approach may be at a different time for you and may appear different depending on your location.
One of the more dramatic events in the night sky is meteor showers. Meteor showers occur when multiple meteors are observed emanating from a single point in the sky. They are the result of the Earth moving through the debris left by a meteoroid’s passage. The debris burns up as it enters the atmosphere at high velocity.
You only need a dark sky, your eyes, and a comfortable chair to observe a meteor show. They can not be observed using a telescope or binoculars as they span a large part of the sky.
Comets are often called ‘dirty snowballs’. This is because they are composed of ice, rock and dust. They tend to have highly elliptical orbits. The temperature rises as they approach the Sun, and the ice melts. This results in dust and gas being ejected from the object, forming the typical tails of a comet.
Some comets are highly predictable, and we know when they will return. However, we always discover new ones, which makes detailing them in this guide difficult. We endeavour to update this section when discoveries are made, not long before or during the start of the period.
If other events occur during the period, we will provide them at the end of the guide. This information may be about solstices or when the Earth is closest to or farthest from the sun.
Stellarium is free planetarium software that you can use to plan and execute your observing sessions. A beginner astronomer will find any planetarium software invaluable as it will help you locate objects in the night sky. You will do well to learn how to use the software.
In this section, we provide the basics on how to use it. Of most importance is ensuring that your location and time are set correctly. For planning, the time needs to be set to when you expect to do the observing. While observing, the time must be set to the current time.
There are three versions of the software, so we will detail each separately and provide details on how to access each version.
The basic adjustments on the web-based version of Stellarium are pretty simple. They are available directly on the screen by clicking on the correct feature.
Your location should update automatically. However, to set your location, click the location box in the lower left of the main screen (see image below). When the window opens, enter the name of your location and click the magnifying glass. Then click the required location and the Use This Location button. If the location reverts to an unwanted location, you should turn off the Use Autolocation feature in this window.
To change the time, click the time box in the lower right corner of the main window. Set the required date and time. To return to real-time, click the button between the date and time, as highlighted below.
In Stellarium, you can search for astronomical objects. Just enter its name in the search box and then on the object in the drop-down menu. Be aware that some objects have more than one name, and the name that you use may not be listed in Stellarium. This will not be the case for many objects.
When you are observing, you must preserve your night vision (described below in the Averted vision section). To achieve this, we use red light, which does not affect it. In the web-based version of Stellarium, click on the Night Mode icon in the lower center of the main screen (it is an eye).
We highly recommend downloading and installing the desktop version of Stellarium. It is free, and there are Windows, MacOS and Linux versions. You can download the software from Stellarium download.
The desktop version of Stellarium has many more controls than the web version. Here, we cover just the basics, like those covered in the previous section.
The left-hand menu contains all of the configuration settings. The only setting detailed here outside of this menu is the night mode setting in the bottom menu.
To access the left-hand menu, move your mouse to the lower left-hand side of the screen. Incidentally, to expose the left-hand and bottom menus simultaneously (as shown in the screen capture below), move the mouse to the left-hand corner of the screen.
Click the Location Window icon (shown below) to change your location. You can either click on the map to choose your location or, better yet, search for your location in the search box and click on it when it appears in the menu.
To set the time, click the Time/Date icon and change it to the desired date and time. To return to real-time mode, press 8 on your keyboard.
The Search Window icon allows you to search for an object.
You can use the Night Mode icon in the bottom menu during an observation session to change to night mode. This will only make the Stellarium window red. You can switch between Stellarium full screen and window mode by using F11
Stellarium is also available for Android and iOS. Each of these has two versions. Stellarium Mobile is the free version, while Stellarium Plus is a paid version. The Android version is available here and iOS version here.
To change your location in the mobile version, tap the three horizontal line icon on the upper left of the screen. When the menu is open, tap on settings and then location. To change your location, first turn off auto location. You will then be able to search for your location. You will likely not need to change your location, as the phone should use your GPS location, which will be more accurate.
Tap the time in the lower right corner to change your date and time. If you tap the window that opens, you can easily change the date and time. To return to the current time, tap the small clock with a circling arrow icon (the same as in the web version). Also, an icon will appear after changing to a different time, allowing an easy return to real-time mode.
The search function is accessed by tapping the magnifying glass in the upper right corner.
Night mode is turned on and off using the icon in the bottom left corner,
To new astronomers, the night sky is mostly unknown. As a result, you should get to know the night sky broadly and how it changes from hour to hour and month to month. To help you on your way, we have included this section.
If you are very new to astronomy, we recommend finding and tracing constellations first. Look at their distinctive patterns and their relationships to adjoining constellations. This will help you to get to know the night sky.
For example, in the early parts of the year, you can first find and trace the figure of Orion. Orion is a very prominent constellation and a great place to start. Once you have identified Orion, you can use that to learn the adjoining constellations of Taurus, Cetus, Lepus, Canis Major and Monecerus. Use the geometric patterns in Orion to help you to locate the bright stars in the adjoining constellations. A technique called star hopping (discussed soon) can help you here.
If you already have binoculars or a telescope, hold off using them until you know some of the visible constellations at the time. Once you have some of them under your belt, you can use your optical device. Getting to know the night sky will bring many rewards later.
Stars rise in the east and set in the west during a night, just as the Sun does during the day. This is caused by the earth’s rotation from the west to the east.
Also, from one night to the next, stars will rise four minutes earlier and set four minutes later. This is due to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Each day, the Earth travels a little less than one degree around its orbit. As a result, the positions of the stars change. This position change caused stars to rise a little earlier each day. It also makes different constellations visible at different times of the year.
Due to the planets’ orbits, their positions continually change. The positions of the planets closest to us change more rapidly than those farther away. Planets outside Earth’s orbit (i.e., Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus) can be visible at any time of the night (and for the brighter ones during the day). As Mercury and Venus are between us and the Sun, they are only visible soon after sunset or just before sunrise. They are never visible late into the night.
The planets, Moon and Sun, are roughly on the same plane. As a result, they trace out a line in our sky. This line is called the ecliptic. None of them stray very far from this line. If you have a number of these objects in the sky, you can trace out the line, making finding dimmer, similar objects easier.
This section contains tips that will help your observing sections. We will discuss the importance of observing under darker skies, what dark adaptation is and why it is important to preserve it. We will end by providing some tips on finding and observing objects in the night sky.
Unfortunately, observing the night sky in all its glory has become more difficult with time. This is due to increased light pollution. Light pollution is the brightening of the night sky via artificial lighting. This light washes out the dim objects in the sky. In large cities, all but the Moon and brightest planets and stars disappear in the haze.
To get the most out of your observations, find the darkest skies possible. Even traveling for one hour can make a big difference.
Ultimately, you should find a dark sky location. These are areas of very low light pollution and, as such, offer magnificent views of the night sky. You can use DarkSky to find your nearest dark sky location.
Dark adaption is the process by which your eye adapts to low light. I am sure you have experienced a situation where you can see nothing or very little just after a light is turned off. With time, you can see more and more. This is the result of dark adaptation.
During dark adaptation, your pupil becomes wider. Unfortunately, as we age, the amount the pupil can dilate becomes smaller.
It can take up to 30 minutes for our eyes to adjust optimally to dark conditions. This time can be used to observe brighter objects.
White light can destroy dark adaptation very quickly. Due to this, we must preserve our night vision as much as possible. To do so, do not use any white light or screens that are not in night mode. If you need to use a light, use a red light, as it does not destroy our night vision.
Finding an object in the sky can be challenging at first. One method to locate objects is called star hopping. This technique involves using brighter stars to locate dimmer stars and objects. To use the technique, we use star patterns and the distances between them to locate dimmer and different objects. It depends a lot on pattern recognition.
An example is finding the Orion Nebula (M42). To locate it, we first find Orion’s belt, which is formed by the bright stars Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. Orion’s belt is a well-known asterism. From the belt, you can find the dimmer stars that define Orion’s ‘sword’. The middle ‘star’ appears slightly fuzzy as it is the Orion Nebula rather than a star.
At this point, we should give you a warning of what to expect. Images like the one above raise expectations of what to expect in visual observations. Unfortunately, our eyes are not as sensitive as we would like. We will never see the Orion Nebula as shown above.
When observing the Orion Nebula, you will see the central part in black and white only. It will appear a bit like split milk around the central stars. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful sight.
Knowledge of the eye’s structure can aid in our observations. Our eyes have two types of light-sensitive cells: rods and cones. They have different functions and are distributed differently in our eyes.
Rods are responsible for low-light vision, while cones are active in bright conditions. Cones are responsible for color vision.
Cones are more concentrated near the fovea, and it is here that we see the greatest detail and instinctively concentrate our vision. Unfortunately, this is not ideal for low-light situations.
As rods are more sensitive to light we must avert our eyes to what we wish to observe in the night sky. This is called averted vision.
To use this technique, find the object’s location of interest, then avert your sight about 20 degrees away from it. Hold the eye position as steady as possible. Once you have the technique working, experiment a little by changing the angle of aversion a little and going in different directions. Your ideal orientation may be different from that of other people.
Our current observing guide is for January and February 2025.