STARTING ASTRONOMY

Here are some easy projects to get you started on astronomy. No specialist equipiment needed.

Watch the International Space Station fly overhead. The ISS is a very bright object and can easily be spotted with the naked eye. You just need to know when and where to look. Luckily there is a website Heavens Above which tells you just that. Simply enter your location and it will provide all the information you need. It also provides information on satellites, comets etc.

Meteor Showers Meteor showers are usually the debris left over from comets burning up as it enters the atmosphere. As we can predict when the Earth will pass through these debris fields meteor showers are predictable events. Some of the more famous are:
Persieds (August)
Leonids (November)
Geminids (December)
Quadrantid (January)
These can be seen with the naked eye. All you need to do is wrap up warm, get yourself into a comfortable position (lying on a blanket or sun lounger is ideal) and then wait. (Of course you do need clear skies (not cloudy) and the less light pollution the better). When the showers are due you should be able to get mroe information about where and when to look on this website, or from my Twitter feeds or on the BBC website.