Beginners Guide

Below are videos provided by several BAS members to help those just starting out in astronomy. Additional helpful videos can be found on the BAS YouTube channel and our Frequently Asked Questions and Websites and Apps pages include further resources for beginners as well.

Enjoying Your Time at The Eyepiece (presentation by BAS member Matt Harbison; September 2022). This video provides a practical guide to observing the night sky.

Part I – Beginning Observer Basics – You Don’t Need a Telescope to Start in Astronomy (presentation by BAS member Ralph McConnel; January 2022).

Part II – Beginning Observing Basics – Telescope Basics (presentation by BAS members Ralph McConnel and Richard Clements; March 2022).

Part III – Blurry Blobs, Dim Dots, and Faint Fuzzies (presentation by BAS member Richard Clements; April 2022).

Part IV- Beginning Observing Basics – Star-Hopping Basics (presentation by BAS member Ralph McConnel; May 2022).

“Knowing a deep thing well, which is what science asks of its practitioners, is an empowerment that is very profound. It's a liberation.” - Ann Druyan

Image Credit: BAS Member Ralph McConnell