That’s why CosmicPursuits offers the comprehensive course called Fundamentals of Stargazing. It’s a detailed, step-by-step online course about backyard astronomy for those who wish to learn what to see in the night sky, how to acquire the best tools for the job, and perhaps understand a little of the science behind what we can see in the night sky.

The course is designed to…

In short, Fundamentals of Stargazing fast-tracks you to a deep understanding of what to see in the night sky and how to see it, so you can enjoy some of the most astonishing sights in all of nature, understand a little about your place in the universe, and share your new-found expertise with your friends or your children or grandchildren.

Fundamentals of Stargazing is not for everyone.

If you’re happy to just look at pretty pictures of stars and galaxies on the internet, or maybe watch an occasional video on social media, and if you have no interest in understanding the night sky for yourself, then this program is not for you. Students of this course are a serious bunch, so I want to honor their commitment by ensuring they receive my full attention.

That’s because everyone who joins this program gets a direct email access so they can ask as many questions as they wish during the course.

And over the course of the year, enrollment is limited to just 50 students (out of 30,000 regular subscribers to Cosmic Pursuits). Everyone who joins this program gets a direct email access so they can ask me as many questions as they wish during the course.

So I don’t want a thousand people in Fundamentals of Stargazing. I want the right people.

Each of these 6 sections contains 12 chapters, each with notes, images, audio and maps to make it easy to follow and understand. That’s 72 sections in total, all packed with useful and highly practical information and advice to help you understand what to see in the night sky and how to see it. In short, it’s a (non-mathematical) college-level course, one that’s affordable and easy to follow, in the practice and pleasures of amateur astronomy.

In the tours of the night sky each month, you set sail on a guided expedition to the most prominent stars and constellations visible from the northern and southern hemispheres.

You’ll find ancient star groups known since the age of Gilgamesh — constellations used by the Egyptians and Romans to plan and reap harvests, monstrous red supergiant stars about to blow themselves to pieces as supernovae, shimmering patches of newborn stars that only recently emerged from the churning star factories of our own galaxy…

… and hundreds more sights and stories of the night sky each month through the year.

Each guided tour of the night sky includes five detailed maps to bring along with you.
You also get:

Some reviews from a few past students in 'Fundamentals of Stargazing' (called “The Art of Stargazing” in past years):

“The course is well designed and assembled with heaps of information for the beginner, and it has enough stimulating challenges to hook you into becoming a more adventurous and informed stargazer. The most valuable aspect was having someone available and prepared to answer any question. This has been a most worthwhile and enriching experience for me.”
– Kay Robinson

“As a new stargazer I was hesitant to sign up for this course because I was concerned that it would be beyond my capabilities or it would talk down to me. I could not have been more wrong. The lessons were well planned, clear and concise, and in no way beyond the new stargazer. In a word: excellent. A friend who is well versed in astronomy described the course as a "must have, for all levels". An excellent value for the money and a welcome addition to any library.”
– Garry Oman

“In the past, I bought and read a few guides and reference books on astronomy but they were confusing. But when I subscribed to “The Art of Stargazing” I found a great guide with an approach that allowed me to discover step-by-step the greatness of our universe. The course did a fantastic job of supporting my interest and the non-intimidating style makes you feel like you have a dedicated expert that uses easy to understand terminology that simplifies the introduction to the science of astronomy.”
– André Rousseau

“My husband and I decided to take up astronomy when we retired a few years ago as a hobby we could enjoy together. After joining CosmicPursuits.com, we discovered “The Art of Stargazing” and never looked back. It’s easy to follow month by month; it covers all aspects of astronomy including deep sky, solar, lunar, techniques, equipment, and more. If you are thinking of doing this course, go for it! You will always have it for reference on your journey in astronomy.”
– J. Blackburn

Fundamentals of Stargazing takes the guesswork out of choosing and using the key tools of the backyard astronomer. You’ll discover dozens of expert-level tips to help you supercharge your view with your own telescope. And you’ll learn to select the best equipment to fit your budget and personal situation.

You’ll discover…

You also get an introduction to basic astrophotography with a DSLR camera, and a crash course in the new and amazingly fascinating world of 'electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA)',  a way to effectively triple the size of your telescope and make it easy to capture snapshot images of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters in the deep sky.

More testimonials for 'Fundamentals of Stargazing':

“I received substantial return on my investment for “The Art of Stargazing” course. The content of the materials was excellent. I decided to purchase the course because it offered to answer all my questions via email, and indeed it did. I saved much more than I spent on the course because it guided me in buying decisions for telescope, mount, and accessories. I am now a much better stargazer because I have so much more knowledge and I own the equipment which is just perfect for me.”
– Marilyn Perry

“Just wanted to say my wife and I enjoyed and learned so much from The Art of Stargazing. The course has been a great aid in learning the stars and actually understanding what we are looking at. We have since joined our local observatory and have purchased a telescope. This is a hobby that we can enjoy together. The course is an absolute bargain, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in astronomy and our night skies.”
– Frank Palmisano

I purchased “The Art of Stargazing” and I found it most helpful and educational. I have an 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and I can now enjoy my nights viewing much more now that I have a plan for each night. Thank you.”
– Michael Reilly

“Although learning about stargazing has been a lifelong ambition, I would never have reached this point on my own. A whole year of comprehensive guidance, that I could understand with a little perseverance, has been a joy. I have also really appreciated the additional distillation of notes for the events happening during each month, not to mention learning about mythology and history. Fascinating!”
– Lyn French

The program benefits those who want to get out and see the stars, whether they live in the city or rural area, or whether they live in the northern or southern hemisphere. Fundamentals of Stargazing is designed for:

The program is intended for adults, but serious-minded kids 12 and over should be able to follow the course material without much problem. So Fundamentals of Stargazing can serve as an excellent gift if you know of a young stargazer with a restless mind who’s keen to know more.

Much of the know-how in the course — observing techniques, equipment selection, and science — remains useful no matter where you live.

But the course also includes separate sky tours and deep-sky observation for observers in the northern and southern hemispheres.

The northern tours are useful for anyone in the northern hemisphere… it doesn’t matter if you live in North America or Europe or Asia. In the evening hours, we all see more or less the same stars and planets (in fact, you learn this in an early lesson). You see slightly different stars are different latitudes, but the most prominent stars stay the same.

Same story for the south… the southern tours are applicable for observers in South America, South Africa, Australia, or New Zealand… anyone at a latitude from about 25 degrees to 50 degrees south latitude. 

Fundamentals of Stargazing is an online course, so you don’t need to worry about receiving stacks of notes or DVD’s in the mail.

Nor do you have to waste time driving to a classroom.

Once you’re in the course, you receive an e-mail with a link to a password-protected main course page on the CosmicPursuits.com website. This page gives you access to the all 6 sections, each with 12 detailed installments of material which includes notes, maps, and audio. So if you’re online, you can access the course from any computer, tablet, or smart phone, anywhere in the world, any time you wish, and you can dip into the course whenever it is convenient for you.

You get access to all 72 sections right away, and you can work through the material at your own pace, whenever you like.

Every section includes detailed notes and images in PDF format to read at your convenience. You also get an MP3 audio version of the notes to load onto your favorite listening device to take along on stargazing sessions or to listen to while you’re out and about.

Each sky tour also includes a set of maps in PDF format to show you the full sky as seen in the early evening hours to help you find the stars and constellations. Plus you get more detailed maps to help you find the deep-sky objects in each month’s tour with a telescope or binoculars.

All PDF and MP3 material can be downloaded to your computer so you can keep it at hand if you’re offline.

More testimonials for 'Fundamentals of Stargazing':

“The course information for “Fundamentals of Stargazing” was excellent. The monthly charts were great to have on hand when I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. As I hadn’t been looking up at sky at night much over the last few years this course got me back into stargazing and now I want to take it to the next step for me and take pictures. Now not only can I identify what I’m looking but understand what is happening out there so many light years away. ”
– Lynn Peers

“For me as a total beginner this course worked very well. I have tried some books in the past but just couldn’t get orientated. However this material helped me really get to grips with the night sky. I now have a month by month reference list for the whole year of what’s up above me and also what’s what in the opposite hemisphere, too. I am glad that I have taken this valuable course.”
– Reece Bramely

“This course literally opened up the sky for me. I can now look up and make sense of what I’m looking at. I spent many an evening listening and reading each month’s installment, then headed outdoors to see it all for myself. You can go as deep into the material as you want…”
– C. Harvey

How about a telescope?

At first, you don’t need a telescope. In fact, if you don’t have binoculars or a telescope, the early sections of the course help you choose the best optical tools for your budget and personal situation. And even without a scope, you can still work through the entire course—it includes images of what many of the sights look like through a telescope— and you can still learn the stars and constellations and the science of stargazing.

Eventually, if you wish to see the deep-sky objects like star clusters and galaxies for yourself, and if you wish to see detail on the face of the Moon and major planets, you may want to buy a telescope, or perhaps borrow one from your local astronomy club. And if you’re not sure which instrument is best for you, you always have direct email access so you can ask for advice.

More testimonials for 'Fundamentals of Stargazing':

“Fantastic course… specific, concise, very encompassing, complete! I enjoyed it thoroughly and refer to it often to reinforce knowledge gained and missed the first time around. For a beginning stargazer, the “Sky Tour” and “Observing Tools and Techniques” were extremely helpful, revealing, and enjoyable. I look forward to expanding my knowledge in all the other areas covered in this very worthwhile course. Thanks for a job well done!”

– Bob Benscoter

“The Art of Stargazing is an awesome way to learn about the night sky. I enjoyed having the different star maps each month to know where to look in the sky and what to look for. I also liked having the deep sky object maps even though just now I cannot see most of them. I was surprised to also learn about the southern sky which I will put to good use when I travel to Australia soon. There was so much helpful information… I will be going over it for a long time. Any problems or questions I had were resolved or answered quickly which I appreciated. Job well done!”

– Karen Maddox

“A must for beginners and an extra-valuable source of information for someone like me with a couple of years experience. I’m looking forward to next year’s edition.

– Stefaan Bogaert

I’ve been stargazer for most of my life. I learned the “fundamentals of stargazing” from scratch. I started out by myself as a kid in a small town… with no help from anyone… and at first couldn’t tell the Little Dipper from the Pleiades. It took much trial and error… and many screw-ups. I once made the mistake of nearly vaporizing my right eye when a bargain-basement solar filter cracked as I was inspecting sunspots.

I show you how to avoid beginners’ mistakes. Because I made nearly all of them.

At age 11, I completed a university course in astronomy, though I couldn’t go for drinks after final exams because I was still eight years too young to set foot in a bar!

In time, I earned a master’s degree in astrophysics and a doctorate in applied physics. I taught astronomy at the university level. And I designed optical and laser systems to peer into the workings of molecules in the atmospheres of planets and in the vast space between the stars.

All to say I know astronomy. And I know the business end of a telescope.

But I also know which things I don’t know. So when it comes to subjects where I’m not an expert, I bring in other experts to enhance the course, especially in areas such as astronomical imaging, digital processing, video astronomy, and so forth. If you have a question which I can’t answer, I’ll tap my extensive network of expert colleagues and find someone who does.

For example, when you enroll in Fundamentals of Stargazing, you also benefit from three special ‘mini courses’ created with the help of my fellow stargazers and teachers:

All three mini-courses are packed full of useful and valuable tips and insight, and they could be offered as separate courses in themselves. But as a student of Fundamentals of Stargazing, you get them at no extra charge.

With such a detailed and state-of-the-art stargazing course, you might wonder… how much does it cost to enroll in Fundamentals of Stargazing?

Well, a major British university charges more than $700 for a year-long introductory online astronomy course. General-interest college courses go for $400-$500 plus the cost of books. And a well-known online Australian university charges more than $1,800 for a unit of study… for just a four-month course.

So a one-time fee of $500 to $1,000 for a lifetime of expertise seems reasonable. I should charge that amount. But I won’t. I want to keep this course as accessible as possible to all serious would-be stargazers.

Enrollment in this comprehensive professional-grade astronomy program costs just US$197 . You can pay for the course with a major credit card through the secure Stripe payment processing system. And this is a one-time payment: you get lifetime access to the course material.

After all, a course fee of US$197 works out to less than four dollars a week over a year. And that's for a program that helps you build a lifelong skill and offers you fellowship with a small group of your fellow humans who have, for a time, gazed into the heart of nature on its grandest scale. 

One you get inside Fundamentals of Stargazing, you’ll be delighted with the detail, scope, and accessibility of the course. I’ve heard that many times from previous students.

But you have to be completely convinced yourself that the program is right for you. If you’re not, I’ll gladly refund your enrollment fee without any questions or hassle.

In fact, if you’re not happy, I want you to ask for your money back.

Take 60 days to evaluate the material, ask questions, try some stargazing for yourself… and if it’s not for you, just send me an email and I’ll refund the full enrollment fee or your installments… you’ll get back every dime and you won’t be charged again. 

Fundamentals of Stargazing is open to new students until midnight (GMT) March 3, 2024... or sooner if it fills up. After that, the program won’t be offered again until next year... if ever.

There are limited spaces available… I want to make sure everyone who registers for this program gets the individual attention they deserve. To secure your position in Fundamentals of Stargazing, click on the button below or click here to get started.

I look forward to welcoming you on your stargazing adventure and helping you find and see the most beautiful objects in the heavens.

Regards,

Brian Ventrudo, Ph.D.
Publisher, Cosmic Pursuits