When you gaze skywards and see a bright star, or notice the majesty of a new moon, you’re witnessing phenomena that’ve captured people’s imaginations throughout history. By simply looking, you’re already engaging with the universe – and with a little know-how and astronomical insight, you can make your experience all the more rewarding.
When looking into the night sky, we’re actually peering back in time. It takes eight minutes and 20 seconds for light to reach us from the Sun, which means we see the Sun as it was 8 minutes ago. And amazingly, some of the light generated from stars which are much further away was first emitted when the Romans ruled across Europe.
The late, great, cosmologist Dr Carl Sagan (1934–1996) said that astronomy was a “humbling experience”, given the vastness of space and its endless possibilities. I’ll always remember his words during his landmark TV programme Cosmos, about there being more stars than there are grains of sand on every beach on Earth. It’s mind-blowing to even attempt to grasp the enormity of this, but Dr Sagan said this idea should serve as a stepping-stone to helping us realise our place in the Universe.
If you’re interested in learning more about space and would like to give stargazing a go, this article covers all the basics.
The journey begins...
When starting out in stargazing and astronomy, it’s often curiosity that encourages you to take your journey from the occasional glance upwards and perhaps an attempt to find out the name of a bright star, to something deeper, where you discover that it wasn’t a star after all, but in fact, a planet!
For instance, during the spring of 2020, Venus – which the naked eye often mistakes for a star – brightly outshone everything around it. The dense Venusian clouds made for an excellent reflective surface, rebounding the sunlight from a Sun that had long since dipped below the horizon here on Earth. Strangely, it was those Venusian clouds that were the subject of much talk, as a possible home to life.
However, another look at the data which first hinted towards life, has since generated different results, casting the whole notion into doubt. Yet, the possibility remains.
Venus, which is known as the ‘evening star’ or the ‘morning star’, is our closest planetary neighbour, and perhaps its toxic climate is a warning that if we don’t look after our own world, a similar fate awaits us.
Preparing for stargazing
To make the most of the night sky, it’s always a plus if you can find a location that offers you the darkest skies possible, away from any light pollution. Our article, 10 best stargazing destinations in the UK, may give you some ideas of where to visit for the best opportunity to explore the skies.
If you have access to a garden, try and make full use of it. By day, look to see how much sky is visible in all directions, making a note of where’s best to stand. At night, the garden can seem like a different place, so make sure you mentally know your way around to avoid trips and falls.
If you don’t have a garden, balconies can also be used to observe the night sky, along with parks or recreation grounds. Once again, take the time to find the best vantage point and make mental notes about the surrounding area, so that you feel safe and comfortable here after dark.
Even in summer it can quickly become chilly once the sun has set. So make sure you bring a coat, hat, and gloves to help stave off the cold. Standing still for quite some time in the cold isn’t everybody’s idea of a great evening, but with clear skies, you’ll be rewarded for your patience!
To make things more comfortable, why not bring a chair or sun lounger to sit on? If standing, it’s a good idea to avoid concrete as this will draw warmth from your body – as bizarre as it may seem, try standing on a plank of wood instead.
Give yourself time to get properly adapted to the dark. Let your eyes become accustomed to the environment, then simply look up and see what you can see. During the winter months, try and look for a bright star that’s positioned almost directly overhead. This will be Capella, in the constellation of Auriga the Charioteer.
During the summer months, it’ll be a different star positioned overhead – Vega, in the constellation of Lyra the Harp. As you learn more about the night sky, you can start to pick out other bright stars and constellations, whilst also keeping a look out for planets you can see with the naked eye. However, if it’s cloudy, you might not be able to see as much.
For further reading about the stars that make up the constellations and their associated mythology, have a look at this guide from StarDate.
It’s also worth reading Patrick Moore’s Beginners Guide to Astronomy and Collins Stargazing: Beginners Guide to Astronomy. Both books are excellent for beginners, and cover the stars, constellations, and planets, plus lunar and meteor activity.
Binoculars and telescopes
You can make stargazing what you wish, and to get involved you don’t need to buy a pair of binoculars or a telescope. You can do so much observing without any equipment, so don’t feel put-off if you haven’t got any optical aid.
If your interest grows, so will your passion to see more. There are plenty of astronomical societies and groups throughout the UK who offer access to their equipment, with the added bonus of their tips and advice to enhance your viewing. To find your nearest astronomical society, visit the Federation of Astronomical Societies website.
However, if you’re considering buying a pair of binoculars or a telescope, it’s worth having a look at the BBC Sky at Night Magazine for ideas about the best ones out there. For binoculars try this article, and for telescopes have a read of this helpful guide.
It’s also a good idea to seek advice from your local astronomical society before making a purchase as they’ll be able to advise you on which equipment would be most suitable for you, based on your experience level and what you’re most interested in looking at in the night sky.
The Moon – our nearest neighbour in space
Exploring our own Moon can be very rewarding when first getting into astronomy. With the naked eye alone you can follow the Moon’s changing faces as it waxes and wanes throughout the month.
When you gaze at the Moon, the darker areas on its surface are known as ‘seas’, or more technically ‘maria’ (Latin for ‘seas’), and are vast lava plains created by lunar volcanoes millions of years ago.
In recent years, the Moon has entered a period of renewed interest as a possible base for reaching Mars. And 2024 is due to be an exciting year for space exploration, with NASA’s Artemis 2 mission expecting to see astronauts orbit the Moon for the first time since 1972.
To find out more about our nearest neighbour in space, check out this Moon map from NASA.
The planets
As one of the few places in our solar system where scientists believe life may have existed, there was lots of discussion about Mars throughout 2023. In June 2023, NASA began its first 378-day Mars surface simulation mission with four volunteer crew members, and has plans to send humans to Mars during the early 2030s.
With its distinct reddish appearance, Mars appeared extremely brightly in the sky in early 2023, but by October had largely disappeared from view. The first opportunity to see Mars this year will be on 27th January when it’ll have a close encounter with Mercury.
On 21st December 2020, a very rare spectacle occured in which the two largest planets in our solar system – Jupiter and Saturn – appeared as one to the naked eye. This ‘Great Conjunction’ was the closest the planets have appeared in the sky since 1623, and won’t occur again until 2080. Whilst seemingly close together in the sky, they were still actually 400 million miles apart.
To get excited about 2024’s upcoming astronomical activity, check out this list of space and astronomy highlights from Royal Museums Greenwich, and this guide to locating the planets from BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
You might find Phillip’s month to month Stargazing Guide by Heather Couper (1949-2020) and Nigel Henbest a handy companion guide to the night sky too. Or, to read more about the planets in our solar system, check out this guide from The Planets Today.
Meteors and comets
Meteors
It was a naked eye phenomenon that first attracted me to astronomy – that of meteors, commonly referred to as ‘shooting stars’. Throughout the year, the Earth passes through various debris and rubble (meteors) left in the wake of comets – either periodical comets like Halleys which are visible around every 75 years, or one-off comets which are passing by.
The Perseids shower, associated with the constellation of Perseus, produces one of the richest displays of meteors. It was a display of the Perseids that really fired my interest to discover more about astronomy and space. The next Perseids display will be peaking on 12th August 2024.
There are many meteor showers dotted throughout the year, but you don’t have to wait for any specific shower to watch. Sporadic meteors occur regularly enough, as space debris burns up in our atmosphere and the friction of this generates a blaze of light in the sky.
Some of the debris – which vary in composition from stone and iron, to nickel – can be as small as a pebble, or much larger and produce a more dazzling display.
Because of the associated brightness, sporadic meteors are classed as ‘fireballs’. With modern security cameras and dash cams, many more meteors and fireballs are being spotted where before they’d go unnoticed. To find out more about meteors, have a read of this guide from NASA.
If you’d like to know what to look out for in 2024, take a look at this calendar which features all the major meteor shower activity for the coming year. The first meteor shower of 2024 is predicted on the evening of 3rd January and will be a high-rate shower, meaning you’ll have a high chance of seeing meteors shooting across the sky.
Comets
Whilst there are comets which regularly visit our neighbourhood, we’re sometimes (as we were in 2023) treated to other one-off comets that enter our solar system from time to time – so it’s worth looking out for these too.
Comets are the remnants left over from the creation of the solar system. Best described as ‘dirty snowballs’ and varying in size, comets either orbit the sun and make regular appearances, or they appear as rogue comets, passing the Earth on a one way journey never to be seen again.
When a comet approaches the Sun, the intense heat generated by our star burns off some of the comet’s composition, forming a tail stretching out behind the comet that can be millions of miles in length. A truly spectacular sight.
Last year, it was the newly-discovered Comet Nishimura (officially known as C/2023 P1) that put on a display, reaching naked eye brightness for a time. Comet Nishimura won’t return to our skies for another 437 years, due its staggeringly extensive orbit.
If you’re keen to find out more and would like to know what comets you can see in 2024, take a look at this guide from Astronomical News.
Sources of inspiration
When it comes to stargazing and astronomy, inspiration can come from many sources; and engaging with others who’re interested in astronomy can serve as a great incentive to find out more about the night sky. You might find it helpful to chat with people on online forums or through astronomical societies – or to keep up-to-date with the work and guidance of notable, well-known astronomers.
It’s been my privilege to meet and follow the work of many people from the fields of astronomy and spaceflight; including Fred Haise who was part of the crew of Apollo 13.
It was also a great pleasure to meet with Sir Patrick Moore (1923-2012), a larger than life character who tamed science with his enthusiasm and passion. He brought the night sky into our homes via the BBC TV programme The Sky at Night – which is definitely worth a watch if you’re in need of some inspiration!
We also run monthly tours of the night sky over on Rest Less Events which can be a great way to learn the latest astronomy news, discover which planets or meteor showers are visible each month, and learn more generally about the stars and constellations.
Final thoughts...
If you’re new to stargazing and astronomy, it’s up to you to decide how involved you’d like to get, and to set the pace for your learning. For some it might just be a passing interest, while others may be a little more curious to discover more.
One of astronomy’s great joys is being able to pass on and discuss your knowledge, and once you’ve learned only a handful of objects in the night sky, you’ll likely feel a sense of fulfilment in helping others understand their place in the Universe.
For more information, check out our stargazing articles covering what to see in February, March, April, May, and June.
Jonathan is a contributor to the BBC Sky at Night magazine. He has written three books on astronomy, Cosmic Debris; Rare Astronomical Sights and Sounds (which was selected by ‘Choice’ magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2019); and From Cave Art to Hubble, all of which are available from Amazon. Jonathan worked at BBC Radio Wales as their astronomy correspondent and is currently a columnist at the South Wales Argus. He has also written a book on castles, ‘Fortress Wales’, and was part of the writing team for the BBC Television show, ‘The Fast Show’, which won a BAFTA.
Are you a stargazer or keen astronomer? Or perhaps you’re looking to start your stargazing journey? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.