Amateur Astronomy For Beginners

A perfect course for those looking to turn astronomy into a hobby.

This course, run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, provides information on everything from how to choose and use telescopes, to identifying targets and planning observing activities.

Students get to study in a unique environment supported by a range of equally unique resources, including expert tutors, a state-of-the-art digital planetarium, and the country’s largest lensed telescope.

The course will have a strong focus on developing a solid observational understanding of the night sky and how it changes throughout the year, but will also cover setting up and aligning telescopes, how to choose observing locations and plan observing sessions, amateur contribution to scientific research and a brief introduction to astronomy photography (for those looking for a more in depth photography course, consider our Introduction to Astrophotography course).

Those attending the course should ideally have access to a telescope when away from the Royal Observatory, enabling them to put what they have learned in class into practice in their own time, though it is not required.

While the course may be studied independently without prior knowledge, it is an ideal follow-on course for those who have attended Introduction to Astronomy.