-- The universe is big, mysterious, beautiful and waiting for you to explore it. Astronomy is one of the most relaxing and almost effortlessly educational hobbies there is. And unlike many hobbies these days, stargazing is for everyone in the family from the youngest (how about a hobby that might get the kids away from the Nintendo) to oldest (and give them a chance to really know their parents and grandparents).

-- However, many people think that astronomy is beyond their reach because they don't want (or may not be able to afford) to spend the money to buy an expensive telescope. Before you give up on studying and enjoying the stars, read on and find some some tips on ways to stargaze on a budget. Use local and internet resources to help you explore the universe. If you have a local astronomy club look for help there, you may very well find a bargin on a member's used telescope or binoculars and joining the club usually gives you access to large expensive telescopes and a club library for a very modest annual cost. The local public library is also often a gold-mine of astronomy texts you can borrow rather than buy. The internet abounds with astronomy resources....heck, you've found a good launch point to many astronomy resources right here!

-- First, there is one type astronomy that costs absolutely nothing. It is called "naked-eye astronomy". Quite simply it requires nothing more than the two 7mm telescopes built into your head called eyes. There are many things in the night sky that are seen well with just our own eyes, such as: constellations, asterisms, the Milky Way, the phases of the Moon, conjunctions, the Northern Lights, star colors, star clouds, meteors and meteor showers, manmade satellites and even large deep sky objects like the Pleaides or the Andromeda Galaxy

===== COST: Nothing

-- The second type of astronomy that can be free or at a very modest cost is called "binocular astronomy". This, of course, invloves using common binoculars (which are actually two small telescopes attached together). Many people have a dusty old pair of binoculars hanging in the back of the closet which they have never considered pointing at the stars.....try it, you'll be amazed! Suddenly literally dozens of star clusters, nebulae and galaxies are available for your viewing pleasure. You'll also be able to track the phases of Venus and the Moon, they will help you spot the tiny planet Mercury and pick out many crater, seas and maria on the Moon. Try checking out thrift stores, pawn shops, garage sales and online used astronomy equipment ads for inexpensive used binoculars if you don't already have some. 10x50 binoculars are best for stargazing, but any binocular larger than today's tiny pocket-size models will work just fine. 7x35 binoculars are often available brand new for around $30, high quality 10x50 models with excellent optics and last-a-lifetime construction will still cost less than $150.

===== TYPICAL COST: Free to $150

-- Finally there is conventional astronomy with a telescope. Telescopes vary in price and performance greatly, but you might be shocked at how inexpensively you can get into even this more expensive part of the hobby. There are literally tens of thousands of 60mm refractors sold every year that usually end up collecting dust in a closet until they are sold at a garage sale, often for $25 or less. If you read the article on this web site about redeeming these kinds of scopes you'll have discovered one ready source of very low cost telescopes. If you are at least a little handy and want more of a challenge why not try building your own scope? You can build the scope yourself or buy a ready to assemble kit, either way you'll save some money or get a much larger scope for the same amount of money. And of course, once again buying used equipment will also save you money and get you more scope for your dollar.

===== TYPICAL COST: $25-$250

-- Listed below are a few links of special interest to the frugal stargazer. I hope you'll take the time to explore the rest of our web site and that this will help you to start to enjoy our wonderous universe.