Weeks 1–3 · Anchors
The bright patterns that everything else hangs off.
The programs, in detail
Four programs of 6 to 12 weeks, planned for your latitude, season and sky.
Program 01 · Where everyone should start
The sky by eye
Four constellations at a time, learned from a familiar anchor and revisited until you can find them without looking anything up. By the end you can walk outside, identify what is up tonight, and know what is rising later — which is the foundation every other skill sits on.
Weeks 4–6 · Seasonal sky
What is up now, and what is coming.
Weeks 7–8 · Planets and Moon
Telling a planet from a star, and reading phases.
Weeks 9–10 · Without a chart
Going outside and simply knowing.
Weeks 1–2 · Steady
Holding, bracing and simple mounting.
Weeks 3–5 · Targets
Clusters, nebulae and the Moon in detail.
Weeks 6–8 · Sweeping
Finding things by scanning rather than aiming.
Program 02 · More than you expect
Binocular observing
Binoculars are the most underrated instrument in astronomy: wide, portable and steady enough on a rail or a tripod. We work through dozens of genuinely good targets, learn to hold them still, and build the sweeping habit that finds things a telescope walks straight past.
Program 03 · Bought and used well
Your first telescope
We choose with no commission involved — often a modest Dobsonian rather than the department store refractor with impressive magnification claims. Then setup, eyepieces, collimation and the star hopping technique that means you can find things whether or not any electronics cooperate.
Weeks 1–2 · Choosing
Aperture, mount and portability, honestly weighed.
Weeks 3–5 · Setup
Finder alignment, eyepieces and collimation.
Weeks 6–9 · Star hopping
Finding faint things from bright anchors.
Weeks 10–12 · Observing lists
A season of targets, logged properly.
Weeks 1–2 · Phone and tripod
Moon, planets and star trails.
Weeks 3–4 · Camera basics
Exposure, ISO and the 500 rule.
Weeks 5–6 · Stacking
Free software, many frames.
Weeks 7–8 · What comes next
What tracking really costs, before you buy.
Program 04 · Realistic expectations
First astrophotography
Astrophotography is a different hobby to observing, and far more expensive. We start where it costs nothing — phone on a tripod, Moon and constellations — then stacking and basic processing, with a clear-eyed view of what deep-sky imaging really demands before anyone spends money.
Want to know what's up tonight?
Twenty minutes on your sky, your equipment and where to start. Free.