The naked-eye sky
The stars that you see on clear nights are the same stars our ancient ancestors saw before recorded history. The patterns our forebearers drew among those stars — representing things, creatures, or beings that they wanted to memorialize for future generations — are the basis for our modern-day constellations.
Identifying those constellations is a traditional first step for many new stargazers. And you can use Learn the constellations as your tourist guide for your journey.
If you have young children, why not also let them make up their own constellations by playing connect-the-dots with the stars? Gather your family together and see who can come up with the most creative patterns. Of course, you and your family may already know some familiar figures in the sky, like the Big Dipper or maybe Orion the Hunter. But forget them all. Create your own patterns. Some may be small, while others may span the entire sky. Tell everyone to let their imaginations run wild. Nothing is too out-of-this-world, and anyway, that’s just imitating what our ancestors did.
The sky charts that appear every month in Astronomy magazine represent the sky as seen in that month’s evening sky. But what if you are an early riser? Stars are still visible at 4 A.M., so to identify those, many stargazers use planispheres. A planisphere is essentially an “adjustable” star chart that can be set to match the exact month, day, and hour when you’re observing the sky.
You can purchase many well designed planispheres from large local bookstores and museum gift shops, as well as online retailers. But if you are looking for a fun daytime family project that can be used the very same night, why not make your own? Several web sites offer printable templates. My favorite, both for its high-quality graphics and simple instructions, is Uncle Al’s Star Wheel from the Lawrence Hall of Science. Just make sure to print the patterns on heavy cardstock for best results.
To learn about what stars are made of, astronomers use special instruments attached to telescopes called spectroscopes. And it’s easy to make a homemade spectroscope too! While not designed to examine stars, they can be used to analyze sources of light here on Earth. To make yours, follow the instructions on the sci-toys.com website. When complete, use it to survey different types of lights around your home and neighborhood. You will discover, for instance, that incandescent lights will display different spectra than fluorescent bulbs.
Your itinerary is set. Now, it’s time to pack your virtual bags and set out on your family staycation to the stars. The universe awaits. Bon voyage!