Tips & Guides
- 01
Binoculars: A Great First Telescope
A first telescope should be easy to use and provide good quality views while being affordable. As it turns out, those requirements make the first telescope of choice for many stargazers something unexpected: a good pair of binoculars!
- 02
How to Photograph a Meteor Shower
Taking photographs of a meteor shower can be an exercise in patience as meteors streak across the sky quickly and unannounced, but with these tips – and some good fortune – you might be rewarded with a great photo.
- 03
How to Find Good Places to Stargaze
If you're hoping to do some skywatching, but you're not quite sure how to find a great spot, we have you covered. Here are some key things to know about how to find the best places for stargazing.
Latest Content
Stay up-to-date with the latest skywatching tips and facts from NASA.
![Image of a Perseid meteor streaking over Joshua Tree National Park](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/perseid-meteor-shower-8-11-15-20526349219.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Prepare for Perseids!
The annual Perseid meteor shower is scheduled to peak this August 11-12. Cross your fingers for good weather, find a nice dark spot to bring a blanket or lounge chair, and get ready to relax and spot some meteors.
![An image with bright light originating from the North pole of the Sun.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/highlight-submissions-soho-cme-image-carolyn-y-ng.gif?w=4096&format=png)
Celebrate the Heliophysics Big Year with Free Heliophysics and Math Webinars from NASA HEAT
The Heliophysics Big Year (HBY) is a global celebration of the Sun’s influence on Earth and the entire solar system. It began with the Annular Solar Eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023, continued through the Total Solar Eclipse on Apr. 8,…
![A picture of the night sky in Skull Valley Utah from June 2021 shows the constellation Scorpius to the upper right of the silhouette of a desert butte. The dark blue sky is filled with countless bright stars. Credit: NASA/Bill Dunford](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/stargazing16x9.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
What’s Up: July 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA
What to Look for in July The scorpion’s star clusters, and Mars reveals elusive Uranus Follow the tail of Scorpius to locate star clusters M6 and M7, let Mars guide you to observe planet Uranus, and see the Moon gather…
![A globular cluster of thousands of stars, mainly white and yellow with small blue stars intermixed.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m13-xlarge_web-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
July’s Night Sky Notes: A Hero, a Crown, and Possibly a Nova!
Look to the skies all summer long for a Hero and a Crown - and a potential recurring nova.
![Four young latinx students wearing solar viewing glasses and and looking up at the sun, grasping each other in a circle as if they're jumping up and down with excitement.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/img-8025-anne-holland.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
NASA@ My Library and Partners Engage Millions in Eclipse Training and Preparation
The Space Science Institute, with funding from the NASA Science Mission Directorate and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, provided unprecedented training, support, and supplies to 15,000 libraries in the U.S. and territories in support of public engagement during the 2023…