Astronomy opens up the night sky, from the Moon's craters to distant stars and planets. This badge teaches you how to observe safely, find constellations, and understand what you're seeing. A dark sky and a little patience are all you need to start.
Why it's worth it
The first time you see Saturn's rings through a telescope with your own eye, it stops being a picture in a book. Astronomy teaches you to find your way around the night sky, read the Moon's phases, and understand why some stars glow red and others blue-white. It turns every campout into a chance to point out constellations to your patrol, and it's the starting point for careers in space science, engineering, and teaching.
Start this week
- Tonight, step outside for ten minutes after dark, let your eyes adjust, and count how many stars you can see in one patch of sky.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of an Astronomy counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Use a free star chart or sky app to find out which planets are visible this month and what time they rise.
- Look up a local astronomy club or planetarium and check their calendar for public star parties or shows.
Stay safe
- Never look at the Sun with your eyes, binoculars, or a telescope unless an adult has fitted a certified solar filter; it can cause permanent eye damage in seconds.
- Observe at night with a buddy and an adult, scout your site in daylight for holes and drop-offs, and dress warmer than you think you need.
Requirements · 9
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Safety
Tips for this section: Never look at the Sun directly or through binoculars or a telescope without a proper solar filter. Dress warmly and bring a buddy for night sessions.
- Requirement 1a
Explain to your counselor the likeliest hazards in astronomy activities and how to anticipate, help prevent, reduce, and respond to them
- Requirement 1b
Explain first aid for injuries or illnesses that could happen while observing, including dehydration, heat and cold reactions, bites and stings, and eye damage
- Requirement 1c
Describe the right clothing and other precautions for observing safely at night and in cold weather
- Requirement 1d
Explain how to safely observe the Sun, objects close to the Sun, and solar eclipses
- Requirement 2
Explain light pollution, and how both it and air pollution affect astronomy
Tip: Compare the stars you can see in town versus a darker spot outside town. Notice how streetlights and haze wash out faint stars.
For example: Do a star count twice: once from your driveway or yard and once from a darker spot like a campsite. Count stars inside the bowl of the Big Dipper or Orion's body each time, then explain what blocked the faint ones and simple fixes like shielded outdoor lights.
- Requirement 3
Binoculars and telescopes
Tips for this section: Ask a local astronomy club member to show you how their telescope works and how they keep the lenses clean.
- Requirement 3a
Using diagrams or real instruments, explain why binoculars and telescopes are key astronomy tools and show or explain how to use them
- Requirement 3b
Using diagrams or real instruments, compare several kinds of telescopes, including at least one that detects light outside the visible spectrum (radio, X-ray, ultraviolet, or infrared)
- Requirement 3c
Using diagrams or real instruments, explain what three instruments used with telescopes are for
- Requirement 3d
Describe how to care for and store telescopes and binoculars at home and in the field
- Requirement 4
Stars and constellations
Tips for this section: Use a star chart or sky app to find a few easy constellations first, then use them as signposts to find others.
Example for this section: Learn a few signpost patterns first: follow the Big Dipper's pointer stars to Polaris, then use Orion's belt to find Sirius in winter or the Summer Triangle's three bright stars in summer. A chart helps you plan, but point them out to your counselor in the real night sky.
- Requirement 4a
Find 10 constellations in the real night sky, at least four of them zodiac constellations (planetarium lessons don't replace finding them outdoors)
- Requirement 4b
Find eight prominent stars in the real night sky, five of them magnitude 1 or brighter (planetarium lessons don't replace finding them outdoors)
- Requirement 4c
From direct observation, sketch the Big Dipper or Cassiopeia twice: early evening and several hours later, showing the North Star and horizon each time and noting the date and time
- Requirement 4d
Explain what we are seeing when we look at the Milky Way
- Requirement 5
Planets
Tips for this section: Check a sky app to see which planets are up tonight. They shine steadily and don't twinkle like stars.
- Requirement 5a
Name the five most visible planets, and explain which can show phases like the Moon's, which can't, and why
- Requirement 5b
Using online (with parent or guardian permission) and other sources, find when each planet from 5a will be visible in the evening sky over the next 12 months, and put it in a chart or table
- Requirement 5c
Describe how the planets move across the sky
- Requirement 5d
Observe a planet and describe what you saw
- Requirement 6
The Moon
Tips for this section: Sketch the Moon on several nights in a row. You'll see the phases change and understand its orbit better.
Example for this section: Sketch the Moon at the same time and from the same spot on four nights within one week, drawing its lit shape, where it sits in the sky, and a tree or rooftop on the horizon. Label each with its phase name and explain why the lit part and position change as the Moon moves along its orbit.
- Requirement 6a
Sketch the Moon's face and mark and label five seas and five craters
- Requirement 6b
By direct observation, sketch the Moon's phase and position at the same time and place on four nights (or days) within one week, including horizon landmarks; explain the changes
- Requirement 6c
List the factors that keep the Moon orbiting Earth
- Requirement 6d
Using diagrams, explain where the Sun, Earth, and Moon are during lunar and solar eclipses and during the new, first-quarter, full, and last-quarter Moon
- Requirement 7
The Sun and stars
Tips for this section: Look at star colors on a clear night, and learn how to view sunspots safely with an adult using proper equipment.
Example for this section: Compare star colors: red Betelgeuse in Orion is cooler, blue-white Rigel is much hotter, and yellow Capella is in between, a lot like our Sun. For sunspots, view only with an adult using a certified solar filter or a projection method, and sketch what you see.
- Requirement 7a
Describe what the Sun is made of, how it compares with other stars, and some ways its radiation affects Earth's weather and communications
- Requirement 7b
Define sunspots and describe some of their possible effects on solar radiation
- Requirement 7c
Find at least one red, one blue, and one yellow star (not the Sun) and explain what the colors mean
- Requirement 8
Observing project. Choose 1 of 6
Tips for this section: Many planetariums and astronomy clubs host public nights. If you plan a star party, pick a dark, safe spot and invite your family or patrol.
Example for this section: Plan a star party for your patrol: pick a dark site with an adult, check the Moon phase and weather, set a time, make a list of five objects to show, bring red flashlights, and invite a club member with a telescope.
- Requirement 8a
With counselor approval, visit a planetarium or observatory; then give your counselor a written report, scrapbook, or video covering the activities, exhibits, telescopes and instruments, and objects you observed
- Requirement 8b
With counselor approval, plan and join an observing session using binoculars or a telescope to see 10+ objects beyond those in requirement 4; list and find them in a chart, guide, or app, discuss plans with your counselor first, keep a log, and review it with them after
- Requirement 8c
With counselor approval, plan and host a star party for your troop or another group (like your class), using a telescope or binoculars to point out and explain objects in the sky
- Requirement 8d
With counselor approval, help a local astronomy club run a star party open to the public
- Requirement 8e
With counselor approval, take your own series of images of a moving Moon, planet, asteroid, meteor, or comet; label each with date and time, plot the positions on a star chart, show the display at school or a troop meeting, and explain the changes
- Requirement 8f
With approval from a parent or guardian and your counselor, use an online observing service such as SkyNet to view planets, comets, galaxies, and/or the Sun, and describe the experience to your counselor
- Requirement 9
Careers or hobby. Choose 1 of 2
Tips for this section: Ask an amateur astronomer or a science teacher how they got hooked, or look into jobs like astronomer or planetarium educator.
- Requirement 9a
Find three careers using astronomy skills; research one's training, education, certifications, experience, costs, job outlook, starting pay, and advancement, then discuss it and your interest in it with your counselor
- Requirement 9b
Find how you could use astronomy skills in a personal hobby; research the extra training, costs, and helpful organizations, then discuss your findings and your short- and long-term goals with your counselor
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A planetarium
A dome show can teach you constellations and the Moon's motion faster than weeks of cloudy nights, and it counts toward requirement 8.
How: Have a parent check the planetarium's schedule for public shows, or call and ask whether they offer group programs for Scouts.
An astronomy club star party
Members set up many kinds of telescopes and love showing beginners planets, star clusters, and galaxies.
How: An adult checks the club's website for public nights and goes with you. Bring warm layers and a red flashlight.
A college or public observatory
Big telescopes show far more detail, and staff can explain how professional astronomers work.
How: Look for public viewing nights on the observatory's website, and go with your family or troop.
Where it can lead
- Astronomer or astrophysicistStudies stars, planets, and galaxies; usually requires an advanced degree.
- Planetarium educatorRuns shows and programs that teach the public about the sky.
- Aerospace engineerDesigns telescopes, satellites, and spacecraft.
- Observatory technicianKeeps telescopes and instruments running; some start with a two-year technical degree.
- Science teacherShares the wonder of space with students and often runs school star nights.
Ask yourself
- What do you already wonder about when you look at the night sky?
- Which constellation or object was hardest to find, and what finally helped?
- How did seeing a planet or the Moon's craters in person feel different from photos?
- What did you learn about light pollution that you could share with your family or neighbors?
- What question about space would you love to spend your life trying to answer?
Good questions to ask an amateur astronomer or planetarium educator
- What first got you hooked on looking up?
- What's the best object for a beginner to find with binoculars?
- How do you choose a good spot and night for observing?
- What's the most amazing thing you've ever seen through a telescope?
- How do amateur astronomers help professional scientists?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Plan a troop star party on a campout, away from city lights.
- Contact a local astronomy club; many love to bring telescopes to scout events.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- NASA (opens in a new tab) — Images, sky events, and space science for all ages.
- Local astronomy club — Members often share telescopes and host public star nights.
- Planetarium or science center — Shows and exhibits that help you learn the night sky.
- NASA Night Sky Network (opens in a new tab) — Find astronomy clubs and public star parties near you.
- Astronomical League (opens in a new tab) — Observing clubs and award programs for every level, including young astronomers.
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (opens in a new tab) — Today's Sun images, sunspots, and solar storms.
- Astronomical Society of the Pacific (opens in a new tab) — Activities and explanations about the night sky for students and families.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.