Newcomer guides

Every choice involves trade-offs. Our buying guides walk you through what matters per product group, explain what the specifications mean in practice, and help you pick the option that fits what you want to do.

Buying guides

Telescopes
Buying guide

#1 Choosing Your Telescope

This buyers guide is designed to help you understand how to evaluate key telescope design and performance characteristics.

Telescopes
Buying guide

#2 Understanding telescope designs

This buyers guide is designed to help you understand telescope designs: how they work, their pros and cons, and which is best for your goals.

Mounts
Buying guide

#3 Choosing a mount

This buyers guide is designed outline the role of the mount, introduce different types of mounts, key features, their advantages and disadvantages.

Mounts
Buying guide

#4 Understanding Modern Mount Technology

This buyers guide is designed outline the key features incorporated in modern mounts.

Eyepieces
Buying guide

#5 Eyepieces

This buyers guide to explain eyepiece design and performance characteristics to help you choose eyepieces that complement your telescope.

Cameras
Buying guide

#6 Inside astrophotography cameras

Before choosing a camera, it helps to understand the characteristics that determine its performance.

Cameras
Buying guide

#7 Astrophotography camera types

This buying guide explains the different types of dedicated astro cameras available to help you chose an imaging system that matches your interests.

Cameras
Buying guide

#8 Matching cameras to telescopes

This guide is designed to help you choose a camera that complements your telescope.

Practical astronomy

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#1 Observation Sites

This guide is designed to help you identify and evaluate observation sites so you’ll have the perfect place to enjoy a night exploring the universe.

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#2 Choosing the right night

Choosing the right night is about understanding the weather, seeing conditions, transparency and moon phases.

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#3 Planning an observation session

This guide outlines a simple workflow to help you plan your observing sessions and make the most of every clear night.

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#4 Pre-departure checklist

This guide outlines a practical workflow that begins well before an observing session and finishes when you leave the observing site.

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#5 Essential field kit

This guide focuses on field kit – things that are easily overlooked but can have a large impact on the quality and duration of your session.

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#6 Setting up in the field

This guide is designed to help you establish a safe, comfortable and practical observing area that will work throughout the night.

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#7 Observing techniques

This guide will help developing simple observing techniques that allow you to detect, interpret and appreciate more detail in the objects you observe.

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#8 Caring for your equipment

This guide is designed to help you protect, maintain and safely store your equipment, so it remains in good working order and ready for next time.

Practical Astronomy
Practical Astronomy Guide

#9 Celestial Catalogues

This guide is designed to help you make sense of the catalogue designations used to identify objects in the night sky.

Practical astrophotography

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