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The sky at night is one of the most alluring sights, inviting observers to imagine what is happening out there far away around a distant star, or to ponder the chances of life existing elsewhere in the cosmos.<\/p>\n
Astronomy gives us the skills we need to observe these stars<\/a>, constellations and planets<\/a> with the naked eye, or to use binoculars and telescopes to observe deep-sky objects like nebulae<\/a>, galaxies<\/a> and globular clusters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thanks to centuries of scientific study we now know the answers to many \u2013 though most certainly not all \u2013 of the questions the cosmos poses.<\/p>\n However, when it comes to how we see the vastness of space from our own planet, we\u2019re on a pretty sure footing, and this is what we\u2019ll be looking at in this beginners\u2019 astronomy guide.<\/p>\n Firstly, you need to prepare for your first night under the stars.<\/p>\n For more advice on what to see, read our guide on what\u2019s in the night sky tonight<\/a>, listen to our weekly Star Diary podcast<\/a> or sign up to receive the <\/strong>BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n