Stargazing for Beginners: Explore the Night Sky Without a Telescope Or Binoculars
Think you need to be fully equipped to be a true stargazer? Not at all! All you need is a passion for the stars and maybe a free app like Star Walk 2 or Sky Tonight to guide your way through the skies. In this article, you’ll discover what celestial objects you can observe without any optics and how to make the most of your naked-eye stargazing experience.
Contents
- What objects are visible to the naked eye?
- I’ve seen it all. Should I buy a telescope now?
- Stargazing with the naked eye: Conclusion
What objects are visible to the naked eye?
The Moon
The Moon seems an obvious object to observe, but it has enough to surprise you. Apart from its different phases, you can explore its different colors. That’s right, the Moon isn’t always white – it can be yellow, orange, or even red. Discover more about the Moon’s colors with our fun quiz.
The Moon can play tricks on us: it might seem unusually large near the horizon, but this is just the Moon illusion. Don't confuse this with Supermoons, which are times when the Moon is closer to the Earth and is actually a little larger, although the change in size is not noticeable to the naked eye.
Occasionally, you might witness a lunar eclipse, which lasts much longer than a solar eclipse, taking about 40-50 minutes. And from time to time, other celestial objects, like stars and planets, shine really close to our natural satellite, or even hide behind it. You can find the list of upcoming lunar conjunctions and occultations in our dedicated article.
Planets
Some planets are bright enough to be seen with the unaided eye. Venus is the brightest and is often called the "Evening Star" or "Morning Star", depending on the time it appears in the sky. Mars has a reddish color, Jupiter is yellowish, and Saturn looks golden. Sometimes you can even see Mercury near the horizon at dawn or dusk. The best time to see Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn is when the planets are on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun (at oppositions). The best time to see Venus and Mercury is when they are farthest away from the Sun in the sky (at the greatest elongations).
As the planets follow a similar path across the sky, they are visible close to each other from time to time. This is called planetary conjunctions. When more than two planets are close together, it's called a planetary alignment. Although it’s not an official astronomical event, it's a wonderful opportunity to observe the planets and capture some great photos.
Meteors
Meteors, or "shooting stars," are bright streaks of light caused by space rocks burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. During meteor showers like the Perseids in August or the Geminids in December, you can see lots of meteors. And don't even bother using optics – shooting stars are only observed with the naked eye. Just find a comfortable spot, look up, and enjoy the show. Try our quiz for more tips on observing meteor showers!
Satellites
Human-made satellites are the nearest to us celestial objects, making them easy to spot. The International Space Station (ISS) and the Chinese Tiangong Space Station are especially bright and can be visible for several minutes, appearing like slow-moving stars. You might also see the Starlink satellite train, which has a kind of otherworldly appearance. To find out what satellites are visible above you right now, use our Satellite Tracker app.
Bright stars
Many bright stars are quite easy to see, too. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Following Sirius is Canopus, which is most easily visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Other stars to look for include Betelgeuse and Rigel in Orion, Vega in Lyra, and Aldebaran in Taurus. This year, you might even get a chance to see a "new" star that hasn't been visible to the naked eye for the last 80 years! The star T Coronae Borealis is expected to erupt as a nova any day now.
In all, it's said that we can see up to 4,500 stars with the naked eye if the sky is perfectly clear and our vision is good. Why not try it out yourself? To learn the 15 brightest stars and where they are located, check out our dedicated infographic.
Milky Way
Apart from the bright stars, you can see the beautiful Milky Way on a clear, dark night away from city lights. You can measure how light polluted your sky is yourself, with the help of our infographic based on the Bortle Scale.
The Milky Way appears as a faint, milky band stretching across the sky. The best time to view it, including the brightest part – the Galactic Center – is from March to October in the Northern Hemisphere, and from February to October in the Southern Hemisphere.
And even more
That might surprise you, but you can even see some deep-sky objects with your own unaided eye. For example, you can spot the Andromeda Galaxy, our closest galactic neighbor, and the famous Pleiades star cluster. In ancient times, the Pleiades were used as a sort of eye test: seeing five of the seven stars meant you had normal vision, and seeing all seven meant you were a warrior suitable for battle. Even if your eyesight isn't as perfect as that of ancient warriors, you can still see more by giving your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. Also, try using averted vision – look slightly away from the objects instead of looking directly at them.
Occasionally, you might also spot a bright comet with a glowing tail. These comets frequently make headlines, and we always keep you updated with stories about them. The next one that is predicted to be visible with the naked eye is comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS).
I’ve seen it all. Should I buy a telescope now?
Well, you can if you want to, but we recommend to start with a pair of binoculars. Binoculars offer a lot to explore and are much more convenient to take on your stargazing adventures. They provide a wider field of view than a telescope and are perfect for viewing the lunar surface, star clusters or celestial conjunctions.
To enhance your stargazing experience even further, try our stargazing apps Star Walk 2, Sky Tonight, or Satellite Tracker apps. They are all available for free! With the apps, you'll be able to easily locate any object in the sky and keep up with the most exciting celestial events.
Stargazing with the naked eye: Conclusion
With just your eyes and a passion for the stars, you can enjoy endless stargazing adventures. From admiring the Moon's beauty to discovering distant star clusters, there's so much to explore. So, don't wait to start your new hobby. Step outside, look up, and let the wonders of the universe unfold before you. Happy stargazing!
