Navigating the Night Sky

Edinburgh astronomer Alan Pickup will highlight the signposts in the night sky that help to locate some of it’s more prominent features.

Entry is free to ASE members and £2 to non-members but registration is required as places are limited. We will be in the Royal Observatory Edinburgh lecture theatre.

Alan Pickup

Our 4-Steps to the Stars programme continues with astronomer, Alan Pickup, showing you how to find your way around the wonders of our universe. If the weather allows, we will head outside afterwards to have a look using our own eyes.

Alan Pickup, formerly of the Royal Observatory Edinburgh and the Joint Astronomy Center in Hawaii, wrote on astronomy and space for the Guardian from 1974-2017. Alan continues to write the monthly astronomy summary for the Scotsman and our own Society website.

Our 4_Steps programme consists of:

1 – BUYING A TELESCOPE

This is an ONLINE GUIDE » updated each year with the latest information. There are many options available so it’s worth knowing what matters before you buy.

2 – TELESCOPE HELP SHOP

Our Telescope Help Shop aims to show beginners how to get the most out of their telescopes. It covers the basics such as setting up, polar alignment, choosing eyepieces and observing checklists. We also introduce our ASE-24: Observing List for Beginners »

3 – NAVIGATING THE NIGHT SKY

This event provides you with information on how to find your way around the night sky, as well as showing you some of the more interesting sights that you can find there. When the weather allows, we will give you a hands-on guided tour.

4 – INTRODUCTION TO ASTRO-IMAGING

Many astronomers want to move on to taking images of astronomical objects and this workshop will introduce you to the concepts. Starting from simple fixed camera imaging – through lunar and planetary – to deep sky astro-imaging. We will provide advice on capture techniques, equipment setup, software, image processing tutorials as well as demonstrating actual equipment used for imaging.