Hobbies And Interests
Binoculars
Binoculars will offer you a wide view instead of a telescope's narrow view, and they can be much easier for a beginner to use. Binoculars do not require a great deal of adjustment or information to use, and even normal 7x or 10x magnification binoculars can show you more of the night sky than you can see with your naked eye. Binoculars are also easy to carry around and store.
Teloscope
A telescope allows for a tighter focus and higher magnification than a pair of binoculars, although it is also more expensive. When purchasing a telescope, think about the portability and the setup. The telescope that you use should be comfortable and convenient for the type of stargazing that you engage in. When buying a telescope, remember that the larger the aperture, which is the diameter of the optical lens or mirror, the sharper and brighter the image will be.
Sky Maps
Sky maps allow you to search out different stars in the night sky by their proximity to constellations. Once you are familiar with the constellations, you can use the sky maps to locate more obscure stars. Sky maps tell you what you are looking at, and they can also be used to plan an evening's stargazing activities.
Notebooks
Keeping a notebook of your observations and the type of activity you have been seeing can be a good way to record your progress. As you learn more about stargazing, it can be helpful to see how far you have come and what new things you have observed.