I like how the book tackles one object a day, and then leads you to a nearby star or constellation in the next. For example, January 1 starts with Orion, one of the easiest constellations to find in the sky. From there, it teaches you to use that as a reference point for the celestial equator. For each of the things in the solar system worth observing through a telescope, there are detailed sections in this book on how to best observe them. It even includes in-depth discussion of the major geographical features of the moon, and how to best observe the moon depending on the specific phase it’s in.
On a clear night and moonless, you should have no problem viewing the stars from anywhere in the park. However, light pollution from surrounding communities does impact Joshua Tree’s night skies, so some areas of the park are darker than others. Our measured high albedo requires clouds that can survive the high stellar irradiation in the planetary dayside.
Light-grey areas are mountainous highlands; the dark grey are long-dried-up lava beds called “seas” because early astronomers took them for actual seas. If you look closely you can see a white circle (where the seven would be if the moon were a clock face) with rays of white pointing out from it. If you have any kind of binoculars – old or even toy ones – grab them and have a closer look at the moon. You’ll see more detail around the craters and seas but have a look around the edge of the moon, too, and see it’s not a perfect circle. The rough, jagged outline is because of lunar mountain ranges.
An Alt-Azimuth mount allows you to move your telescope in straight lines – up, down, right, and left. In a hurry or only need a few questions answered regarding the set up or use of your telescope? Just find the question that best reflects what you need to know and click it to be taken to that section. To export Discover the best telescope for beginners right here! observing list (.skylist) file from SkySafari, copy it out of this folder on your SD card to your computer’s desktop. You can also rename or delete observing lists directly on your SD card. Changes should be reflected immediately in SkySafari’s Custom Observing Lists section.
These days, backyard stargazers use smartphone and tablet apps instead of telescopes to discover a wealth of information on the location and identity of planets, stars, and galaxies. Mobile apps can present a vast amount of information about what’s happening overhead, regardless of time or place. That’s because the best astronomy apps use the gyroscope and compass in your smartphone or tablet, along with date, time, and location services. “Why don’t you recommend go-to telescopes?” They are expensive and potentially very confusing to set up for beginners.
Some of these planetariums even run special weekend or summer programs for kids as well. If you live near New York City, follow Columbia Astronomy, which will keep you in the loop about astronomy events at Columbia University. Some university Astronomy Departments even have Twitter accounts to keep their followers apprised of upcoming events. Doctors Faherty and Tyson make the science of astronomy understandable to the general public, so you really may want to consider following them and others like them. Namely, they make astrophysics comprehensible to people who don’t have years of training and a PhD. He has hosted multiple television shows, advised presidents, and authored multiple books.