Wherever you are in the world, there will always be stars in the night sky above. And spotting these heavenly bodies - be it a solitary star amid the light pollution or great drifts dotted across the inky darkness - can give a certain thrill.

It is one of the few things where we can go out into our own gardens and do it ourselves
Marek Kukula, Royal Observatory

And stars are not the only attraction - there are planets, comets and galaxies too. Most have been in the skies above for millions and millions of years, which is part of the draw for stargazers, amateur and aficionado alike.

Oh, how I know what you mean. A few years back, I was the proud owner of a Meade XT computerized telescope. Unfortunately, doctor bills, had to sell. But I still hope to own another one someday. In the meantime, I just stargaze with the eyes God gave me and it's wonderful.

My favorite method overall as well...I like going naked. Yeah, but really.

You might just get you some 10x50 binoculars chestnut. They're great (or even better than telescopes) for open clusters and the milky way.

Thanks Rustee, I'll look into that. I'm sure the price will be more reasonable than a telescope.

Yeah, they should be, although there's certainly high-end models that can get pricey too. Bushnell is a good brand...I paid $45 for mine at an outdoors store. You might see other magnifications, anywhere between 8x to 15x. The higher mags might show more details with things like the moon or tight clusters, but sacrifice a smaller field of view. Plus anything much higher than 10x is nearly impossible to hold steady with just your hands (necessitating a mount, or resting against a rail or something).

Anything bigger than a 50mm aperture also starts getting beyond one's ability to hold in your hands comfortably.

In short, I like 10x50...they still require a steady hand, but are manageable.