Collections
Reading collections
A collection is a short path through the reference built around a specific goal. The pages inside are arranged in a convenient order, and the level label shows where to start and where to go next. Pick the collection closest to your situation and read it in order.
Children find the sky fascinating all by themselves. An adult only needs to take them out into the dark, show them one bright star pattern and honestly say "I don't know, let's find out" when a question turns out to be hard.
Collections include only pages of the reference that are already published. We do not add links to shops, apps or third-party services, and we do not rank optics.
Your first month of stargazing
For anyone who has decided to go out under the sky regularly and wants to understand what they are seeing.
- Your first evening in five stepsStart here
The plan on the home page: a dark site, dark adaptation, a constellation, the Moon and a log entry.
- Observer's glossaryStart here
Constellation, asterism, phase, radiant and other concepts in plain words.
- Answers on binoculars and telescopesGo further
What to choose first, how to avoid shake and why you must not look at the Sun.
The sky with children
For parents and teachers. A good occasion for a first evening is 12 April, Cosmonautics Day in Russia: on 12 April 1961 Yuri Gagarin made the first human spaceflight. Since 2011 the UN has also marked the date as the International Day of Human Space Flight.
- Reference sectionsStart here
The "How to observe" topic: safety, warm clothes and a red torch.
- How to photograph the Moon with a smartphoneStart here
A simple shared activity: the child holds the torch and keeps notes while the adult sets up the camera.
- Answers on naked-eye observingGo further
How to spot the space station and see meteors without any equipment.
Observing from the city
For anyone who lives among streetlights and can't often get out of town.
- Light pollution and dark adaptationStart here
Why you see fewer stars in the city and how to get the most out of your backyard.
- Photographing the Moon from a balcony or yardStart here
The Moon is bright even above lit streets, which makes it easy to photograph in the city.
- New pagesGo further
Fresh material, including tips on observing under light pollution.
Read next
- Guides
How to photograph the Moon with a smartphone: preparation, steps, mistakes and a checklist. Plus the article catalogue.
- Sections
Four topics: how to observe, constellations and stars, the Moon with planets and meteors, smartphones and photography.
- Questions
Short answers about naked-eye observing, binoculars and telescopes, smartphones and photographing the sky.
Sources
- Galamob reference pages
- Encyclopaedic sources on astronomy
Information is current as of the date this page was prepared. What you can actually see in the sky tonight depends on the date, your location and the weather, so check an up-to-date astronomical calendar before heading out.