I can’t recall if I ever mentioned it in a post, but for my birthday a few months back my boyfriend got me a telescope. A pretty flipping sweet telescope if you ask me, but of course I’m a bit biased. Anyway, we’ve taken it out a couple of times since then, but it became clear pretty quickly that we didn’t actually know how on Earth to use the thing for much beyond checking out obvious easy-to-find stellar objects like Jupiter and its moons. But that’s going to change, because recently we got a firmer toehold in the world of amateur astronomy.

I’m a hands-on learner when it comes to retaining this sort of practical knowledge, so the idea of trying to figure out how to use my telescope by slugging through online tutorials was incredibly unappealing. So we decided to learn from people who’ve already mastered telescope operations and stargazing skills: our local astronomy club. It’s easy enough to find clubs — provided one is close enough to be convenient — by checking out Web sites like this one. From Nepal to the Netherlands, you can find enthusiasts all over the world who gather together under starlit skies and point their scopes into the depths of space.

There may be a small membership fee, and possibly some forms to fill out, but once you’ve done that just keep an eye out for club events. The club we joined has monthly lectures, telescope help sessions, dark sky observations and sidewalk astronomy setups. The people are super friendly, and during the event we attended last weekend they were more than willing to help the Christmas present crowd get a feel for their new telescopes and gear. We saw the Crab Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Pleiades and tons more. I can’t wait until next time. In part because it’s going to be held at an observatory much farther away from annoying city lights, but also because now we know to bring chairs!

Ever had the urge to get a closer look at the galaxy? Want to visit unique venues and meet new folks? You probably don’t even need to own a telescope yourself, because there’s an excellent chance you’ll find plenty of participants willing to let you take a peek through theirs. So happy stargazing — but before you go, don’t forget to follow How-to Stuff on Facebook and Twitter.