Astronomy Discovery

Your online destination for news articles on planets, cosmology, NASA, space missions, and more. You’ll also find information on how to observe upcoming visible sky events such as meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, key planetary appearances, comets, and asteroids. Guide to the Night Sky and Basic Astronomy Interested in learning more about stargazing and the night sky? Here’s the place to start. On this page, you find basic guides and articles to help you learn the night sky and the major stars and constellations. You discover the amazing range of objects you can see in the night sky, from the Moon and planets to distant galaxies. You also get clear advice on how to choose a telescope and binoculars for backyard astronomy. These articles are available for free, and you can return here anytime to learn more about how to enjoy the night sky. Stargazing Basics Basic stargazing isn’t that hard. If you can follow a map to find your way around a new city, you can find your way around the night sky. Follow the links on this section to learn the layout of the night sky, as well as how the sky appears to move during the year. Astronomy for Beginners: Learn the night sky with the unaided eye. Astronomy is an outdoor nature hobby. Go out into the night and learn the starry names and patterns overhead. Use the monthly naked-eye star charts in Sky & Telescope magazine, download our free Getting Started in Astronomy flyer (with bimonthly maps), or buy yourself a planisphere, which shows the constellations visible at any time throughout the year.