Here is a list of the latest astronomy magazines:

1. Astronomy: This is an American astronomy magazine, which can be read every month.  It is the leading magazine on the science of astronomy.  This magazine covers a wide variety of topics.  It has also a lot of pictures that support these articles.  The reader (which could also be anyone who’s not into astronomy) is also supplied with star charts and astrophotographs each month.
2. Astral Journal: This is a magazine from Nepal that caters to novices in astronomy. 
3. Amateur Astronomy Magazine: This features articles written specifically by astronomers that cover numerous topics such as telescopes, space observation, etc.
4. Astronomy and Space: An Irish-based magazine that deals with space news.
5. Astronomy Now: This is the number one British magazine on space news.
6. Astronomy Magazine: Discusses a wide spectrum of topics such as space missions, news, eclipses, or charts of stars.
7. Night Sky Observer: Home of two astronomy softwares (LunarPhase Pro and the JupSat).  Amateur astronomers also submit articles here.
8. Sky News: This magazine comes from Canada, which discusses astronomy and gazing at the stars.  It has fun portions such as photos and listing of astronomy clubs.
9. SkyTonight.com (Sky and Telescope Astronomy Magazine): has useful astronomy articles and tips that can be used by anyone.
10. StarDate Online: This magazine offers astronomy in a way that a regular Joe would be able to understand.  It uses understandable astronomy articles. 
11. BBC Sky at Night Magazine: It claims that it is the world’s first astronomy magazine.  Aside from the usual topics, this magazine includes the latest innovations in astronomy gadgetry.  It also posts of competitions, which amateur astronomers can join.

With these top astronomy magazines online and on the newspaper stands, it is impossible to not keep up with the latest in space news.  You, as a part of the entire universe, should be able to understand what’s going on and why they happen.  You don’t have to be a geek to understand.  These magazines could help even the most unfamiliar guy out there.  Try them!

Astronomy as a science is considered the oldest.  It dates back to the time when people began looking at space and observing how everything in it behaved.  They soon came to the conclusion that there was a certain predictability to the movements of the stars and planets.  Ancient peoples then began to use this knowledge to tell time.

Astronomy and Time

Our modern use of clocks and other time measuring devices owe a lot to astronomy and the study of space.  People during the ancient times used the movements of the sun, moon and other stars to tell time and set the seasons for human activities such as planting and harvesting. 

Even early celebrations pertaining to religion was based on the movements of celestial bodies in space.  The early form of astronomy was a great help in establishing regularity and measurable time, especially when used with man-made implements.

A famous example of this is the Stonehenge, a massive stone structure that was used as an observatory as far back as 3000 BC.  It mainly tracked the sun’s movement along the horizon to predict the coming and going of the seasons.  About 500 years later, Stonehenge may also have been utilized to predict lunar eclipses as well.

By 1800 BC, the early Babylonians were able to develop a rough calendar based on the Sun’s movement and the moon’s phases.  Models of the supposed circular motions of the celestial bodies in space were developed by the Greeks and were later on enhanced by Hipparchus and Ptolemy.  Johannes Kepler later replaced the circle with the ellipse.

Other famous astronomers who made major contributions to our modern knowledge of space include Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei.  Copernicus refuted Ptolemy’s theory of an earth-centered galaxy and instead theorized that the sun was the center around which the planets revolved.

Galileo Galilei improved on this further when he used a telescope to explore space in 1609.  Although he was tried by ecclesiastical authorities for his theories, Galileo’s insights were proven correct later on.

Astronomy today

Astronomy has a few practical uses, but it is engaged in by many professional and amateur astronomers because it does satisfy our thirst for knowledge of space.   Today, various methods are used in exploring space, including radio, infrared, x-ray, ultraviolet and gamma-ray astronomy.

One, you can view not only the stars, but keep an eye on the other two major figures in our skies, the sun and moon. You can track the moon and it’s different phases, especially taking note of unique and beautiful times like the moon during the solstice. The coronas that also form around the moon during certain times, as well as the unique color it turns during a lunar eclipse, are other things that are worthy of photographing.

The sun can also be viewed, though not directly under normal circumstances. The best time to check the sun out is during solar eclipses, using modified telescopes with glare filters so you don’t burn your eyes. Professional astronomers even use special equipment to track patterns of solar flares, though to date no such equipment has been made commercially available.

Another activity in astronomy is to specifically find a “unique” star that’s either fairly new or on the verge of dying out. Monitoring the developments of a single chosen star can actually be very useful, as you keep a log of it’s day to day development (or in the case of a dying star, you can, if you’re lucky, actually witness it’s actual death). Government astrological institues actually get a wealth of information this way submitted by stargazing hobbyists.

Then there’s the hobby of observing a galaxy; assuming you can get a scope powerful enough (these are available commercially but rather expensive), you can monitor a faraway galaxy or solar system and observe the patterns within it. This particular activity is especially attractive to those astronomers who wonder whether there is actually life on other planets aside from ours.

On a  similar but closer note, you can also keep track of one of our neighboring planets and it’s progress. Saturn is a favorite among planetary astronomers because of it’s rings, as well as the gas giant Jupiter for it’s sheer size. Mars, obviously, is another popular one simply because of the old legends of “little green men”.

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There are millions of stars in the indefinite universe. The sun is also considered an average-sized star. Have you ever wondered what it would be like in the other stars? There might be planets similar to the earth, so there might be other living creatures in outer space.

Did you know that man is considered a child of the stars? Astronomers believe that the overall composition of stars is also the basic composition of the human body. The matter that constituted stars during the Big Bang, which is a popular theory of creation among scientists, are also believed to be the exact matter that constitutes the human body up to this moment.

Another interesting fact is that you can look at the past by simply looking at stars in the evening sky. That is because the light from the stars that reaches the earth are millions of light years away.

You know that light travels at fast speeds. So imagine how distant the stars are and how much time it would need for the stars’ lights to reach the earth. The current state of such stars can’t be visible yet, so what you look at right now are the stars’ state millions of years ago.

Amazing, isn’t it? Well, these and more facts and trivia about the stars could be yours if you want to invest in star guides. You could also learn more about stars, like their names, myths and legends, the discovery and so much more.

Star guides

Star guides are books that are specifically written to serve as guide to aspiring astronomers. It wouldn’t be easy being an accredited astronomer, so you could get on with your profession and pursue astronomy somehow as a hobby.

Star guides would be the reference material for you. There would be no need for technical schooling. Star guides touch on the subjects about all the 88 identified constellations observable in the evening sky.

Did you know that out of the millions of stars in the evening sky, only 70 are considered major and are given their specific names? Among these stars are Altair, Betelgeuse and Schedar. These stars have their own specific characteristics that set them different from each other.

Aside from the names, the stars’ particular and permanent positions in the sky are also established. Through regularly consulting with a star guide, you can easily tell which star is which and even boast of the knowledge about known facts and discoverers of the stars.

Every star guide comes with graphics that will illustrate the usual star arrangements so you could easily pinpoint locations of stars. Through this map, you could also identify the constellations or groups of stars that mimic a picture usually of man or animals.

Calculations

Aside from knowing the names and positions of stars, star guides also teach you how to predict when stars will rise. There are simplified calculations that are taught to you so you could easily predict the exact time when a star will rise from the horizon.

You know that the earth is rotating and is revolving around the sun. Logically, the position of stars at night could also vary. Know which stars are visible in any given season and which aren’t using the star guide.

Star guides and astrology

Aside from astronomy, star guides also make the Bible for astrology, or the art of predicting the future based on the positions of the stars. Astrologers may not be as scientific as you, or the astronomers, would be in treating data about the stars, but they share the same interest in stars.

There are 12 zodiac signs in modern astrology. These signs aren’t exclusively used in astrology because they are also used to identify groups of stars for astronomy.

Thus, some people assert that astronomy and astrology are estranged bed fellows. They only differ in purposes. Astronomy is more in identifying the scientific aspect of heavenly movements and locations, while astrology deals with the perceived significance of such data on lives of people.

Moreover, astronomy would be easy if you would have a star guide at hand. Invest on the reference material and know more about stars.

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However, for centuries, people have been enthralled by the stars, especially at nighttime when they are most visible. Groups of stars which form a particular shape, known as constellations, have been given names, such as the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. Scientists have often said that there are billions of stars in our galaxy alone, which is just one of the many galaxies in the universe.

A star is a huge, big ball of plasma that shines brightly. We all know what the sun is, but do we actually know that it is a star? The sun, as we know, is very powerful and is the Earth’s source of energy. That alone gives us an idea as to how powerful a star can be, whether it is in terms of heat or of light. Yet in spite of all this knowledge, stars can still be wonderful to look at, even from our vantage point of millions of miles of distance.

Some people flock to public observatories or astronomy stations in order to view stars for a small fee. Even if they seem to be unmoving, some people just can’t get enough satisfaction merely looking at them through powerful telescopes. Astronomers have studied and are continuing to study the stars in order to find out more information about them, since it is somewhat difficult to get quality information from objects of great distances, although it is possible.

However, you don’t necessarily need powerful telescopes in order to enjoy the stars, although it would help by making them look bigger than when viewed with the naked eye. Stargazing is a very popular activity and is sometimes required by astronomy professors. By exploring the stars, whether at home or while lying down on a grassy bank, there are shapes and images that can form while stargazing.

Astronomers explore the stars in order to learn about them, for that is their job and means of livelihood. This research that astronomers conduct thoroughly and systematically regarding stars are actually very helpful as pieces of knowledge for the common man. Without them, we will have a very limited knowledge regarding stars and perhaps other heavenly bodies. But certainly, stars are also in the heavens above for the common person to enjoy.

Exploring the stars via stargazing or even with a home astronomy kit at home (usually composed of a less powerful telescope than that at an observatory) can help you enjoy them and think about them, without the need for deeper knowledge that astronomers seek. In other words, enjoy stargazing and exploring the visible stars and be relaxed while doing so. It is wonderful to view them, especially from different angles and times, of which some groups of stars can come together to form a constellation.

You can actually point out a group or groups and name your own constellations in order to make your star exploration at home more enjoyable. You know the regular constellations, namely, the Big Dipper, Orion, Leo, etc. Perhaps your imagination can be vivid and you would notice a certain group of stars that form a recognizable shape and name them. You can even invite friends, classmates, family members, and more to make stargazing an even more enjoyable activity.

The reason why exploration of stars and other heavenly bodies enthralls humans is because of the mystery of outer space. Up until the present, scientists and astronomers have been debating about a number of issues, such as whether life exists on Mars, how the universe came into existence, whether life can survive on other planets, etc. Along with this, the typical human is intrigued by the idea of stars and how they shine brightly at night. It is also this interest and intrigue that has led people into telling fortunes based on the position of the stars (astrologers).

Exploration of the stars can be done at home. For the typical person, it is more enjoyable to do it at home without thinking too much about them. Enjoy them, for they are mysterious, but wonderful objects.