Your First Steps in Astronomy
Astronomy doesn't deserve its reputation as a tough, expensive hobby. You just need to start with the right advice.

Words Ya Gotta Know
Take a few minutes to learn the most important astronomy terms.

Names of the Stars
Confused by the bizarre names that astronomers have given the stars? Here's where they come from and what they mean.

The Stellar Magnitude System
All about astronomy's scheme for describing the brightnesses of stars and everything else in the sky (including why larger numbers mean less bright!).

Understanding Celestial Coordinates
Right ascension and declination tell where anything is in the sky. But how exactly do they work?

The Spectral Types of Stars
Without its spectral type, a star is a meaningless dot. With it, the star is a physical object with its own personality, character, and history.

Fuzzies in Your Future: An Introduction to Deep-Sky Objects
Ready to voyage beyond the Solar System? Here's what you can see in our galaxy and beyond.

Names of Deep-Sky Objects
The meaning of M, NGC, UGC, and everything in between.

Time and the Amateur Astronomer
Our civil time system is based on official edict, but the celestial clockwork follows its own natural rhythms.