 | Nikon 7218 Action 10 X 50mm Binoculars
Buy new: $80.51 / Used from: $72.99 Download Stellarium and use it. Use your eyes first to try and see the stars but many have already done this. This is what most people should go for before a binoculars. Celestron is popular but even 8 x 50 from a non-zoom brand are good. 10 x 50 is what most people use and this Nikon Action do very nicely.
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 | Firefly Planisphere Deluxe: For Latitudes between 40 deg and 60 deg North -- Stars to Magnitude 5.5 -- Equinox 2000.0 by Storm Dunlop
Buy used from: $38.88 Stellarium is better but this is easy to carry around. This item can be a lot cheaper than the one shown here but a good planisphere is helpful for coming to terms with the constellations which are the markers for almost everything else you will see in the night sky.
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 | The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey
Buy used from: $0.35 If there is one book you are looking to get then it maybe this one. There are many more detailed books for experienced astronomers but this book, over 50 years old, just gets the basics right and is also the reason why we have the constellation shapes we have today.
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 | Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas by Roger W. Sinnott
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $11.53 After spending a few weeks viewing the stars and learning the constellations you may have noticed some deeper space stars around the main constellation stars you are seeing. This is what you need to learn what they are. However you need the next product to make full use of this.
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 | Petzl E49P TacTikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp, Black
Buy new: Too low to display This is an expensive but well worth it red light. Red lights let you keep your eyes adjusted to the dark. White lights simply destory your night vision. Red light lets you maintain it and so with this you can view maps and look back at the stars continous without breaking your night vision. This opens up the world of deep space binocular viewing to you.
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 | Sky Atlas 2000.0, 2nd Deluxe Unlaminated Version by Wil Tirion
Buy new: $37.77 / Used from: $32.99 This is a more advanced sky atlas with greater detail. There is a more expensive laminated version around. You would have to upgrade to this for bigger scopes.
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 | Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
Buy new: $329.95 This is basically what every begineer astronomer is seriously considering as their first telescope. It is a reflector telescope and very powerful for the price.
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