All year long, the state of Florida enjoys a sub-tropical climate with sunny summers and mild winters. This makes the sunshine state the perfect place to enjoy stargazing and astronomy.

You don’t need a ton of fancy gadgets and a degree in astronomy to go stargazing. If you want to explore the Florida night sky and take a deep dive into astronomy, here are a few tips that every beginner can use.

Look for dark sky sites

It can be difficult to find a good spot to go stargazing if you live in a metropolitan area. Light pollution can cloud your view and sour your stargazing experience. In order to fully enjoy your stargazing trip, be sure to look for dark sky sites that are away from any local light pollution, give you a good view of the sky, and can be accessed by most people. Thankfully, there are a handful of places in Florida where you can be away from bright city lights and be intimate with the skies. For one, you can visit the Sebastian Inlet State Park where you can enjoy the glorious night sky and watch sea turtles make their nest. Orlando Weekly’s list of the best places in Florida to see meteor showers recommends going to the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, which is Florida’s first internationally accredited dark sky site.

Star charts are essential

Simply put, a star chart or a star map is a map of the night sky and can help you identify and locate constellations. In addition, a star chart can also help you spot various astronomical objects such as stars, nebulae, and galaxies in the night sky. In the past, astronomers used to download and print out star maps for a particular place at a specific date. But thanks to today’s technology, you can easily download a star chart on your smartphone. CNET highlights some useful star chart apps that you can download on your phone today, such as Safari and Google Sky.

Reflector telescopes are best for beginners

While telescopes aren’t really mandatory for beginner stargazers, you’ll have lots more fun if you do decide to get one. Telescopes open a whole new world that cannot be seen with the naked eye. You don’t even have to purchase a high-end telescope. Reflector telescopes, which use mirrors instead of lenses, can give you a great view of the night sky and are incredibly simple to use. What’s more, the wide range of telescopes on Adorama shows how buying a reflector telescope won’t break the bank. Tasco’s 76mm Reflector Telescope and Barska’s Starwatcher 675x Power Telescope, are both under $200 and can help you see astronomical objects up close.

Join local clubs

Appreciating the night sky is an activity you can enjoy with a group of like-minded people. So, be sure to look for stargazing clubs in your city. ⁠the wide range of telescopes on Adorama