If your summer vacation takes you to clear dark skies, here's what to bring along to help you indulge your interest in astronomy.

The Basics

• Binoculars. You can pack a pair away easily. A pair of 7x35 optics works well. Or if you can afford it, image stabilized binoculars with 30 mm or larger objectives. Canon makes a great pair of image-stabilized 10x30's… very compact and great for dark skies.

• Star Atlas or Planisphere. If you're going to unfamiliar latitudes, or to a place where the sky is much darker than you're used to, bring along a small star atlas or planisphere to help find your way around.

• Flashlight. Get a small red LED flashlight if possible, to see your way around in the dark while preserving your night vision.

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