Stargazing for beginners needs no telescope. Find a spot away from city lights, pick a clear night when the Moon is new or below the horizon, and give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Use red light instead of a bright phone, and start with a simple star map or app.
Below is a step-by-step plan for your first nights out, drawn from NASA, the National Weather Service (part of NOAA) and DarkSky International, the group formerly known as the International Dark-Sky Association.
NASA's Night Sky Network puts it simply: "There's plenty to see with your eyes alone." A good first kit is short:
A star map or planisphere. NASA suggests star maps in books or a planisphere for learning the shapes of constellations and what is visible in different months.
A sky app or website. NASA mentions interactive sky maps such as Stellarium Web, which works in phone and desktop browsers, and apps that use your phone's GPS to show the sky above you. DarkSky names Sky Guide and Night Sky as star-finding apps.
A red flashlight or headlamp. More on why below.
Warm layers and something to lie on. DarkSky warns that nights can get chilly even in summer and suggests blankets, a reclining chair or camping mat, and a warm drink.
Binoculars, if you have them. DarkSky lists binoculars and telescopes as helpful gear, but you do not need either for a first night.
"Before you can stargaze, you'll want to find a site with dark skies," NASA's guide says. It suggests learning your Bortle scale rating, which runs from 1, the darkest skies, to 9, extremely light polluted. NASA gives New York City as a Bortle 9 and Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania as a Bortle 2. You can look up the rating near you at lightpollutionmap.info.
Go somewhere properly dark if you can. DarkSky suggests International Dark Sky Places, DarkSky Approved lodging and national parks.
Cut the lights around you. Turn off porch lights and any other lights you do not need, and set up away from other groups.
Scout in daylight. Look for a wide view of the sky, safe footing and an easy path back to the car.
Start close to home. A dark backyard or a rural park is a fine first step before a long drive.
The Moon. DarkSky says the best stargazing conditions occur during a new moon or when the moon is below the horizon, and that a full moon can wash out fainter stars. NASA puts it plainly: "Moonlight in a dark sky area will be as bright as a streetlight, so plan accordingly!" Sky maps and apps show when the Moon is up. If it is up, make it your target for the night.
The clouds. "Clear skies are essential for stargazing," DarkSky says. Forecast words have specific meanings. The National Weather Service defines sky condition by how much of the sky is covered by opaque clouds:
Clear: 1/8 or less
Mostly clear: 1/8 to 3/8
Partly cloudy: 3/8 to 5/8
Mostly cloudy: 5/8 to 7/8
Cloudy: 7/8 to 8/8
Aim for "clear" or "mostly clear." The National Weather Service notes that sky condition describes the predominant or average sky cover, so a night forecast as partly cloudy may still have clear spells. An hour-by-hour cloud forecast shows when those gaps are likely. DarkSky's author plans with clearoutside.com.
"Our eyes take approximately 30 minutes to get dark sky adapted," NASA says, and a bright light can ruin your night vision temporarily. That includes car headlights and your phone.
Use red light. NASA explains that white light constricts your pupils, while red light lets them stay dilated for longer. DarkSky also recommends a red headlamp or flashlight.
Turn your phone red. NASA suggests using your phone's red-screen setting, or red cellophane over the screen and flashlight. On iPhone, Apple says Color Filters (Settings, then Accessibility, then Display & Text Size) can tint the screen a color of your choosing, and Reduce White Point tones down bright colors.
Look at the phone as little as possible. In NASA's words, "If you're looking at your phone, you won't be able to see as much."
Be patient. More stars appear as the minutes pass. Wait the full half hour before deciding a site is too bright.
The Moon. When it is up, it is the easiest target in the sky.
A few constellations. Use your planisphere or app to learn two or three bright shapes, then use them as signposts to find others.
Planets. NASA notes that sky maps and apps will tell you when planets are out.
The Andromeda Galaxy and the Perseus Double Cluster. NASA names these as bright deep-sky objects to hunt on dark nights without the Moon.
The Milky Way. You need a dark site. DarkSky says that in the Northern Hemisphere it is highest late at night in summer.
The International Space Station. NASA says it looks like a very bright star moving across the sky, with no flashing lights, and it does not change direction. Sightings happen within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset, and NASA's Spot the Station app gives flyover schedules and alerts.
Satellites. DarkSky notes that an unusual moving light is probably a satellite such as Starlink.
Meteor showers. DarkSky suggests looking up meteor showers, eclipses and planet visibility ahead of time.
Keep your expectations real. DarkSky points out that photos of the Milky Way and auroras are long exposures, often edited, and the human eye cannot see the same brightness or color. A first night of a few constellations, a planet and a passing satellite is a good night.
Check the Moon phase and whether the Moon will be up while you are out.
Check the hourly cloud forecast that afternoon.
Pack a red light, star map or app, warm layers, a chair or mat and a drink.
Arrive early. If you get there for sunset, our guide on how to photograph a sunset covers the camera side.
Turn off lights, switch your phone to red and give your eyes 30 minutes.
Find one bright constellation, then work outward from it.
Write down what you saw, so you can compare next time.
No. NASA says there is plenty to see with your eyes alone. Learn the sky first with a star map or app, then add binoculars if you want more.
About 30 minutes, according to NASA. A bright light, such as headlights or a phone screen, can undo it, so use red light.
A new moon, or any night when the Moon is below the horizon. DarkSky says full moon periods can wash out many fainter stars.
Yes, but you will see far fewer stars. NASA gives New York City as a Bortle 9, the most light-polluted class. In a city, stick to the Moon, planets, the brightest stars and space station passes.
Asterfold: Sunset Planner is mainly a sunset and golden hour planner, not a star chart. Its Tonight view gives Sunset, Stars and Sunrise ratings with hour-by-hour cloud data from MET Norway, and its website describes the ratings as a rule of thumb, not a guarantee or a probability. It needs no account and has no analytics, and only a position rounded to about 1 km is sent to MET Norway for the forecast.
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NASA Science: May's Night Sky Notes: Stargazing for Beginners (Kat Troche)
DarkSky International: 10 Tips for a Stellar DarkSky Camping Experience