Astronomerica is my way of sharing my enthusiasm for amateur astronomy with others to help them enjoy amateur astronomy as much as I do, without spending a lot of money. I am strictly a visual observer, that is, looking directly with my own eyes, binoculars, or a telescope at the night sky. You might be into imaging these objects, but Astronomerica is all about just looking with your own eyes and admiring the universe first hand. It's an intimate relationship that can really be fulfilling.
If you are new to astronomy, getting back into it after a long hiatus, or just want to learn a little more about how to find your way around the sky with your telescope or binoculars, try out the Space Walk Among the Stars audio guides. They will help you learn the skill of "starhopping," which is finding objects in the night sky without electronic assistance such as "go-to" or systems that navigate via your cell phone. Many basic telescopes do not have this feature, and it's up to you to learn the sky using a chart or charting app.
I recommend and use Sky Safari Pro (regularly $49.99, but often offered for a heavy discount), because it has a very large database of objects- all you will probably ever need. The Basic version (Sky Safari for iOS, currently $4.99, or Sky Safari Astrononomy for Android, currently $0.99) is all you'll need to get started with the audio guides. There are other apps, and some old timers still use paper charts, but I gave those up long ago and view Sky Safari on my red filtered Chromebook or cell phone while I am at the telescope.
Over time I have added posts and pages that I hope you will find unique and useful: how constellations appear in 3D, some low budget DIY projects, "Eyepiece cheat codes" to help you get the most out of observing, and whatever other material I can come up with that I think will help you get the most out of your visual amateur astronomy adventures! Clear Skies, and Keep Looking Up!
Eric
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