About

Astrorias is a guide to watching the night sky from the coast, written for curious beginners and anyone who has looked up from a beach and wondered what they were seeing.

The name joins astro, the stars, with rías, the long coastal inlets where rivers meet the sea. It sums up the idea: some of the best skies many of us can reach are found where the land runs out.

The guides

• Night Sky Basics: dark adaptation, star-hopping and binoculars.
• Coastal Stargazing: tides, safety, choosing a spot and what to bring.
• Moon & Planets: phases, earthshine and the bright planets.

Astronomy, not astrology

Astrorias is about observing the real sky. It does not offer horoscopes, readings or predictions.

What Astrorias is not

It is not a tour operator, observatory, club or shop. It does not run events, sell equipment or give site-specific safety advice.

Pictures

The images are illustrations made for this site. They do not show specific real locations.

Write in

Sightings, tips and corrections are welcome on the contact page.