Nighttime Discovery

Starter Pack
 THE NIGHT SKY : STARGAZING TIPS STARGAZING TIPS
Light
pollution
16 The best time to stargaze is on a clear, dark night. Your location will affect
how many stars you can see. An open space, like a field, lets you view more
Get as far away
from artificial light as
of the sky. Places with bright lights can make it difficult to find some stars. possible and try to find
The less light there is at your location, the more stars you will be able to see. an open space to get a
larger view of the sky.
STARGAZING TIPS
ADVICE FOR STARGAZERS

Lunar
phases
Find out the
phase of the Moon—
a full moon gives off so
much light that it will be
hard to see the stars.

Weather
Check the
weather
because thick clouds
will block your view of
the stars. The air cools
down quickly at night,
so dress in warm layers
to stay comfortable
while stargazing.

Adjust to
the dark
It can take at
least 10 minutes for
your eyes to adjust to
the darkness, so be
patient. Use a red light
to see your star charts,
because red light does
not disturb your vision
like white light does.

Seeing
farther
The naked eye
can identify patterns
in the stars, but a pair
of binoculars or a
telescope will enhance
the detail of the night
sky and allow you to
find amazing sights
such as double stars,
galaxies, and nebulas.

1 The bright lights of cities give the sky a hazy glow

called light pollution. In a city sky you will only see
the brightest stars, but by looking carefully you can find
2 Surburban towns have less light pollution than cities,
so you will be able to see a few more stars and can
start picking out the constellations.
3 Rural areas have very little light pollution and
are good spots for stargazing. You will be able
to see lots of stars and many of the constellation.
4 Dark-sky locations are far from any light and are
the best places to stargaze. You will be able to
see constellations, thousands of stars, and the band
some familiar asterisms. of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

For the curious Content taken from Star Finder!

 AMONG THE STARS : THE MOON SOLAR ECLIPSE
A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth
are directly aligned so that the Moon blocks sunlight from
reaching Earth. A shadow is cast on Earth by the Moon,
116 The Moon is the largest object in the night sky.
While it appears to be bright, the Moon emits no light.
plunging that part of Earth into darkness for several minutes.

Instead, it reflects the light of the Sun.

1 A solar eclipse
occurs when the 2 A shadow is cast
on Earth by the
THE MOONLUNAR PHASES AND SOLAR ECLIPSES

Moon lies directly Moon. Anyone within The stage of a solar eclipse when
MOVEMENT OF THE MOON 1 The Moon orbits in an between the Sun the umbra, this darker the Sun is completely blocked by the
counterclockwise direction. This and Earth, blocking area of the shadow, Moon is called totality. This photograph
The Moon orbits Earth over a period
of 27.3 days. As it does so, sections
of its face are lit up by the light of the
means it appears to move against the
star background from west to east. 4 The Moon rotates
at roughly the same
rate that it orbits Earth,
the Sun’s rays. will see a total eclipse. reveals the Sun’s outer atmosphere,
the corona, during totality.
Sun, making it visible in the night sky. so you always see the
same side of the Moon.

LAST QUARTER

NEW MOON FULL MOON

FIRST QUARTER
3 The amount of the
Moon’s lit side that
3 Viewers within
the lighter area of 4 The Sun is much too bright
to view with the naked eye,
binoculars, or a telescope, even
this shadow, called the

2 The Sun’s rays

always light up half
of the face of the Moon.
you see on Earth depends
on where the Moon is in
its orbit.
penumbra, will see a partial
eclipse, because some of
the Sun’s rays reach Earth.
during an eclipse. Never look
directly at the Sun because its glare
can permanently damage eyesight.

PHASES OF THE MOON

1 2 3 4 5
As it orbits Earth, the shape of the Moon When the Moon The Moon is said When the Moon lies between The Moon is said Only half of the
appears to change. These different shapes, is on the opposite to be “waning” Earth and the Sun, the side to be “waxing” Moon is visible
called lunar phases, occur because each day side of Earth from the when it appears to that faces Earth is not lit by the when it appears to when it lies at a right
the Moon is in a different position relative Sun, its face is fully lit. be shrinking. Sun and the Moon cannot be seen. be growing. angle to the Sun.
to the Sun. The full cycle takes 29.5 days.

Full moon Waning gibbous Last quarter Waning crescent New moon Waxing crescent First quarter Waxing gibbous

For the curious Content taken from Star Finder!

 AMONG THE STARS : PLANET SPOTTING NAKED-EYE PLANETS
Because of their distance
from Earth, we cannot see
120 Ancient astronomers noticed several
bright starlike lights that moved gradually
all of the planets in the
Solar System with the
naked eye, but we are
through the sky against the background of able to spot Mercury,
stars. They named these lights “planets,” Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn
meaning “wanderers.” All of the planets Mercury is very difficult Venus is an easy planet For much of the time, Jupiter appears brighter Saturn looks like a
PLANET SPOTTING
NIGHT SKY WANDERERS

Saturn (shown right, not

to see because it is to spot. Known as the Mars appears like a than the brightest star creamy-colored star
in our Solar System travel along roughly the to scale). The two most always low in the sky brilliant evening or reddish star. Every two in our night sky, Sirius. and moves very slowly
same path, which runs through the twelve distant planets in the Solar and close to the Sun. morning “star,” it is the years and two months, Using a pair of binoculars, through the sky. Through
constellations of the zodiac. Most of the System, Uranus and It is best observed just brightest object in the however, there is a you can even see four of a telescope, you will be
Neptune, can be seen before sunset or just night sky after the Moon. two-month window Jupiter’s moons, which able to see its rings.
planets can be seen with the naked eye. with a telescope. after sunrise. The best time to look for where it is the second- look like faint stars on
Venus is just before sunset brightest planet in the either side of it.
or just after sunrise. sky, after Venus.

WHERE TO FIND THE PLANETS

URSA MAJOR
1 This imaginary line, called the ecliptic, roughly
traces the path of the Sun and the planets
through our sky. The planets, including Earth, all
orbit the Sun on much the same plane, so they
all cross our sky along the same path.
CASSIOPEIA
PEGASUS
2 The ecliptic runs through the constellations of
the zodiac—Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo,
Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus,
Aquarius, and Pisces. So, the planets will always be
found moving through one of these constellations. ANDROMEDA
3 If you see something that looks like a very
bright star along this line that doesn’t belong in
a constellation, you are probably looking at a planet.
PERSEUS
GEMINI
4 There are many helpful websites and cell
phone apps that list when planets will be
crossing our skies and which constellation they
LEO
will be moving through. ARIES

ECLIPTIC

TAURUS
CANIS MINOR
SUN

The ecliptic, the yellow line in this image, ORION

traces the path of the Sun and the planets
in our Solar System through our sky.

For the curious Content taken from Star Finder!