Remember, the starlight you see coming from all those constellations tonight left there hundreds, and in most cases thousands of years ago, and it's just arriving now! When you stargaze you're looking back into time! When you use a telescope you're using a time machine. Think about that!

If you're new to astronomy, the hardest part is learning all those stars. Relax. It's a lot easier than you think, but you won't do it sitting inside at your keyboard.

Some people say that we spend too much time indoors and not enough time observing the things around us, like the stars and planets.

But what if your screen, in this case your Smartphone or tablet, can actually help you appreciate the skies more? Well they can and they're amazingly simple to use! Here's some of my favourites. 'Sky View' will identify almost everything above your head at night and it's fantastic! 'MoonPhase' for your lunar viewing, then download a new Aussie app 'ISS Flyover' to catch the space station passing over the Hastings.

This one is a knockout. On your tablet or laptop download an app called 'Star Chart.' It puts a virtual planetarium right in your pocket. It uses state of the art GPS technology that will show you the current location of every star and planet visible from Earth. Cool huh?

By the way, if you have a telescope, two of the best dark sky places I've found for us locals to observe from are Sancrox Reserve in Colvin Street and the picnic area at Rocks Ferry Reserve. Cover your torch with red cellophane so you won't ruin your night vision OK.