Beginners guide to stargazing in Dorset

Just looking up and thinking “wow” is often the first magical moment many of us experience when we gaze into a truly dark night sky. That sense of wonder, of seeing countless stars twinkling above far from the glare of city lights, is something unforgettable. Dorset offers some of the best places in the UK to enjoy this breathtaking spectacle, with its wide open landscapes, low light pollution and peaceful surroundings. The night sky in Dorset invites you to slow down, look up, and connect with the universe!

If you’ve ever found yourself curious about what lies beyond that initial “wow,” Dorset is the perfect place to begin your stargazing journey. You don’t need fancy equipment to get started - just your naked eye and a sense of curiosity. From spotting constellations and planets to watching meteor showers streak across the sky, there’s so much to discover.

A stargazing holiday in Dorset is not just about astronomy - it’s about awe, adventure and the joy of reconnecting with nature. Let the stars guide you to an unforgettable experience.

Where to start when stargazing?

Learn a few basic star patterns that you can use for “jumping off” to other parts of the sky. Learn to identify the Plough (aka Big Dipper) asterism and the “W” of Cassiopeia, which are in the northern sky all year round.

Here are some star patterns to look for by season:

Winter: Orion, Taurus, and the star Sirius.
Spring: Leo and Cancer.
Summer: The “Summer Triangle” of the stars Deneb, Vega, and Altair.
Autumn: The Square of Pegasus.

What to look for in southern and northern night time skies

The northern sky in late autumn

Stellarium November North

The southern sky in late autumn

These images are available to study more closely on the free open source planetarium website and app Stellarium.

One way to learn how the constellations fit together is to do what our ancestors did: learn some of the constellation stories. Many of these, such as the Perseus and Andromeda story, which incorporates many other constellations, came to us as the familiar Ancient Greek legends, but every culture has its own set of Star-Myths. These tales are a particularly effective way for youngsters to learn the sky.

Getting children interested in stargazing in Dorset

Cranborne Chase National Landscape has put together a collection of resources, specifically for young people. The resources can help them learn about the constellations, planets, and moon phases, as well as a Planisphere, which is a perpetual star map that you can set for any date and time. Visit the Cranborne Chase National Landscape website to find more details.

Should I get a telescope for stargazing?

Once you have a basic familiarity with the night sky, you can progress to binoculars. They will show you much more than your eye does, and their wide field of view and zero set-up time makes them easier to use than a telescope. Binoculars can show you craters on the Moon, Jupiter’s moons, star clusters, and distant galaxies. In fact, they are much better than telescopes for large star clusters and asterisms (informal groups of stars that form a recognisable shape).

As you become more familiar with the sky, you will begin to know what aspect of astronomy appeals to you (e.g. solar system or deep space); this will determine whether or not you get a telescope and, if so, what telescope you get. As a beginner, you need to get something that is simple to use; you want to spend your time looking through it, not figuring out how to set it up or getting it to work, and you certainly don’t want one of the “hobby killers” that ends up cluttering an attic or shed!

When you choose your first telescope, it is useful to get advice from more experienced astronomers (and most are more than willing to help and share). You can do this by joining a local astronomical society (see the Federation of Astronomical Societies), attending a stargazing event and speaking to astronomers there (see Go Stargazing), or joining a reputable astronomy forum like Stargazers Lounge.

Get these initial stages right, and this could be the beginning of an enormously rewarding life-long hobby, or maybe even the first steps on a career path.