Like 'mermaidspace' my first post here too .
My tuppence worth for anyone with even only a vague interest in the sky and a computer screen would be to download '
Stellarium ' as soon as poss. For me it's near perfect and free of the superfluous stuff that lards other 'bought' planetarium programmes , or , come to think of it , Google Sky or Microsoft's Virtual Sky . Best of all is the fact that it's a beauty to look at too . If you are savvy enough you can even use your own photo 360d panoramic horizon in lieu of the default . If you tire of the mouse the keyboard shortcuts are a cinch to learn . I don't think the html code is 'on' to insert the link so here's the pasted one :
Stellarium
To know the sky passingly well I would recommend , as a start , ticking off all the Messier objects . Those that can be seen from the UK at least ( those at the bottom of Sagittarius - 30d below the ecliptic -defeat me ) . A good book is '
The Year-Round Messier Marathon Field Guide' Amazon.co.uk: the messier marathon Harvard Pennington . Binoculars at least needed , though M31 , the Great Nebula in Orion , Pleiades , and , if your eyes are particularly acute a few of the great globulars will swim into view too without optical aid .
Another great site is :
Heavens-Above Home Page where the predictions for the passes of the major satellites and the space station are quite uncanny in their accuracy . The best bit , for me , are the Iridium flare timings .
Bruce