Complete beginner's guide to night sky observation on a budget

I've been reading about UAP sightings for months and I want to actually start looking up instead of just reading other people's reports. Problem is, I'm a skint teacher and can't afford fancy equipment. What can I realistically do with a budget of about £40-50?

I've got a decent torch and good eyesight, but I don't know what else I'd need. Should I get binoculars? A camera? I live in London so light pollution is mental, but I'm willing to drive out to somewhere darker on weekends.

Also - what am I actually looking for? I see posts about "triangular objects" and "bright lights performing impossible manoeuvres" but how do I distinguish a genuine UAP from a satellite, plane, or the ISS? Are there any good resources or apps?

Great question! For £50, grab a pair of 10x50 binoculars (Celestron does decent ones around £35-40) and download Stellarium (free app) and Sky View (free on mobile). Stellarium will teach you every satellite, plane path, and celestial object in the sky - essential for ruling out mundane explanations.

I live in London so light pollution is mental

This is your real limiting factor, not budget. The ISS and bright satellites are visible even from central London. For genuine observation, you need to get to somewhere like Ashdown Forest or the North Downs. There's a group that does skywatching nights in Sussex if you're interested - they take beginners.

Don't bother with a camera initially - phone camera in low light is rubbish anyway. Get comfortable just watching and learning the sky first. Once you know what normal looks like, abnormal is immediately obvious. That's when you start photographing. Most sightings are best documented with notes and sketches anyway.

The binoculars tip is solid. Also: get a red torch (preserves night vision), a notebook, and practice identifying planes. Commercial aircraft have specific light patterns. After a week you'll automatically filter them out. The real UAPs tend to move in ways that are obviously not mechanical - sudden stops, right angles, silent operation.

Join the British UFO Research Association if you haven't already - they've got resources and local groups. Also BUFORA has monthly sky watch events around the country. You'll learn far more from experienced observers than from books. And honestly, after a few months of actual observation, you'll spot something weird eventually. London's had more UAP reports than people realise.