Galamobthe sky in your pocket: a reference for beginner stargazers

An independent reference for beginner stargazers. It is not an observatory, a shop or an app, and it is not connected with the previous website on this domain.

New

New pages

This feed lists the pages of the reference by date. Each entry has a couple of lines about its content and a note on who it is for and why. Topic tags help you see at a glance what a page covers: observing practice, the stars, the Moon or your phone. The newest entries are at the top, with earlier ones further down. For a full list of pages without notes but with a topic filter, see the archive.

We only add finished pages to the feed. If there have been no new entries for a while, the next page is still being checked and completed.

— Editor's note

Topics:

  1. Reference sections

    A map of the reference in four topics with short introductions.

    Why it helps: Helps you find the right topic straight away.

    • practice
    • stars

  2. Archive

    Every published page of the reference, gathered by date and topic.

    Why it helps: Shows what is already ready to read.

    • Moon

  3. Your first night of stargazing in five steps

    A plan for your first outing under the sky and short answers about the reference.

    Why it helps: Gives a clear starting point to anyone who has never observed before.

    • practice

  4. Questions and answers

    Short answers about naked-eye observing, binoculars and photographing the sky.

    Why it helps: Clears up a beginner's most common doubts in a few minutes of reading.

    • practice
    • safety

  5. How to photograph the Moon with a smartphone

    Step-by-step tripod shooting with illustrative examples, common mistakes and a checklist.

    Why it helps: Helps you get a sharp photo of the Moon with an ordinary phone.

    • smartphone

  6. Reading collections

    Reading paths for your first month, for evenings with children and for observing in the city.

    Why it helps: Suggests the order in which to read the reference.

    • practice

  7. Observer's glossary

    Constellation, asterism, ecliptic, phase, terminator, radiant and other terms.

    Why it helps: Explains the words you meet on any star map.

    • stars
    • Moon
  • Collections

    Reading paths: your first month of stargazing, the sky with children, observing from the city.

  • Archive

    Every published page of the reference, sorted by preparation date and topic.

  • Guides

    How to photograph the Moon with a smartphone: preparation, steps, mistakes and a checklist. Plus the article catalogue.

Sources

  • Galamob reference pages

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.