Astronomy is a science that deals in factual observation, the study of the heavens and how we got here. The two don't readily get along. Most people are unaware there are in fact 13 zodiac star signs, not 12. The missing one is called 'Ophiuchus.' I guess it was left out intentionally because 13 is traditionally an unlucky number.

I'm often asked, what's the best piece of advice for a new telescope user? My answer is always the same - get away from the city lights!

On a clear dark night, depending on your age and your eyesight, you can see roughly 2,000 to 3,000 stars. Introduce city lights and pollution, and you see less and less.

In Wauchope, Sancrox Reserve is a great dark sky site to observe from as well as most of our out of town footie fields.

Remember, stars rise about 4 minutes earlier every night, that's about 2 hours a month, while the Milky Way galaxy is whirling rapidly, spinning our sun, you and I and all the planets at around 100 million km per hour! You don't notice it so much because everything is moving at the same speed with you. Feeling giddy?

Wait about 5 or 10 minutes and allow your eyes to adapt to the darkness. See that band of stars stretching across the sky from one side to the other? That's the Milky Way, full of more stars than you can count. Search around with your binoculars and watch for 'fuzzy' patches. Stop and have a look, you might have found a rich star cluster or a gassy nebula. This is called a sky scan and I do it all the time.

Talking about stunning views, check out what's hanging low in the eastern sky a couple of hours before sunrise. That bright 'star' you see is in reality our sister planet Venus, also known as the 'morning star.' This week it's absolutely spectacular and already generating the odd UFO report or two. If you stare at it a while it appears to move around or wobble. Try it. Venus is blanketed with thick poisonous clouds. Sunlight bouncing from these clouds is what makes Venus so bright. Enjoy it, it's free.