Moon nearly first quarter

Stargazing Basics

Getting Started with Your New Telescope

How to start successfully with a new telescope — a guide to what you need to know, how to set it up, and things you can start finding with it in tonight's sky.

Orion Nebula and the Running Man Nebula

Celestial News & Events

What to See with Your New Telescope

Maybe you just got a shiny new telescope. Awaiting you are stupendous, faraway things in the night sky. Surely you're itching to try it out....

Celestial News & Events

What to See with Your New Telescope

Maybe you just got a shiny new telescope to call your own. Congratulations — you could be on your way to discovering many amazing, far, deep things in the night sky.

Full Moon

Celestial News & Events

What To See with Your New Telescope

Just got a new telescope? Here are essential tips to getting started using it for astronomy.

Full moon

Celestial News & Events

What to See with Your New Telescope

Maybe you just got a shiny new telescope to call your own. Congratulations — you could be on your way to discovering many amazing, far, deep things in the night sky. Although most of them are so far and faint that just locating and detecting them is the challenge! Whether…

You may need sunglasses for these rays

Celestial News & Events

What to See with Your New Telescope (December 2016)

Maybe this gift-giving season you got a shiny new telescope to call your own. Congratulations — you could be on your way to discovering many amazing far things in the night sky. Although most of them are so far and faint that just finding and detecting them is the challenge!…

Telescope in a store

Choosing Your Astronomy Equipment

How to Choose Your First Telescope

Here's a quick guide to the essential features that you should look for when buying your first telescope.

You may need sunglasses for these rays

Celestial News & Events

What to See with Your New Telescope (December 2015)

Thousands of telescopes are given and received as gifts during the holidays. But once you've assembled your new treasure, then what? Moon, stars, planets? The editors of Sky & Telescope magazine point the way.

Orion Nebula

Celestial Objects to Observe

New Telescope? Learn How to Use a Telescope and See Amazing Sights

Thousands of telescopes are given and received as gifts during the holidays. But once you've assembled your new treasure, then what? The editors of Sky & Telescope show you where to look first.

Refractor

Choosing Your Astronomy Equipment

Top 10 Telescope Questions & Answers on How to Use a Telescope

Here are common questions about telescopes culled from an expert’s mailbag.

Removing Mirror

DIY: Astronomy Projects & Guidance

How to Care for Your Telescope Optics the Right Way

The mirror in your telescope will probably work fine with a bit of dust on it, but if it's really dirty, you may want to clean it — carefully!