Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/
Here are your outdoor tips on stargazing.
When you are in the outdoors at night away from the urban lights, you cannot help but look up into the sky with wonder. You find the night sky surrounding you with seemingly millions of stars. The wonders of nature become evident. It makes you feel like you are part of a bigger picture.
Here are some considerations that will help you enjoy an evening with the stars, planets and other heavenly bodies.
1. Don’t start by rushing out to buy a telescope. Don’t even borrow one for your first adventure with the night sky. You will be wasting too much time learning how to use it and you will be missing what is happening in the landscape above you. Enjoy the panorama.
2. Simply look up. Look for bright objects in the sky such as the moon. Look for noticeable patterns. Shift your vision from what’s ahead of you to what’s above you.
3. Bring some things that will make you comfortable as you look to the heavens. A blanket, exercise mat, or reclining chair will help you be more comfortable as you look up—your neck will get tired after only a few minutes.
4. Start with a pair of binoculars--you probably already own some. Point them at the patterns that you see. Find hazy patches and see if the basic magnification makes a difference in your perspective. These patches might be star clusters or clouds of gas where new stars are forming. The Moon and Jupiter may be clearly visible with even some of Jupiter’s moons observable. Bring a moon map to enjoy some of the identifiable features on its surface.
5. Pay attention to the moon. It has a regular orbit around the earth and is relatively predictable. Try to watch it at the same time each night. How does it change? Is it larger or smaller? What height is it at? Are the bright stars near it? Start looking at a lunar calendar and see if it accurately describes the moon phase.
6. During the day, watch where the sun is. Do not look directly at it, but see if it’s position for rising and setting changes. Does it follow the same pattern in the sky? How does the position change with the seasons?
7. Subscribe to an astronomy magazine. You’ll find interesting news articles, equipment reviews, and even some monthly sky charts. Make sure that any chart that you use is for your area of the world and time of year.
8. You need to find a dark sky site. State or national parks are good places to look for areas away from extraneous light from cities and other lighted areas.
9. Join a local astronomical club. These are great places to get advice and help. It can also be more enjoyable to share stargazing experiences with others. Members will also have different types of telescopes so you can start to explore ideas about what you will want to buy in the future.
10. Watch for local schools, museums, and planetariums that might host public education programs. You can learn and also link up with others with similar interests to yours.
11. Take the telescope plunge only after several months of experience watching the skies. Do you know the basics? Can you identify some planets and constellations? Use binoculars until you understand the layout of the night sky.
12. Buy a red light to enable you to see at night yet not ruin your adaption to the dark. Any exposure to bright light will instantly destroy your eye’s acclimation to the dark. It is best to use a red torch that is especially built for astronomers.
13. Buy a planisphere. This is a versatile star chart made of plastic and shows you the night sky in your location at any time of year. There are also some online products that you help you, but computer equipment can be difficult to use in the dark without distorting your night vision
14. Get outside at night and start stargazing. Watch the weather forecasts so you will not go out and be disappointed by cloud cover preventing you sky view. Usually if cloud cover is over 30%, you will not have a good night of visibility.
15. Don’t just focus on trying to identify things in the sky. You will often be surprised by shooting stars and satellites. Enjoy the view.
This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/
References-Additional Reading
EarthSky’s top 10 tips for super stargazers
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/getting-started-2
6 Tips for Perfect Stargazing
http://news.discovery.com/space/history-of-space/six-stargazing-tips-astronomy.htm
Stargazing for Beginners: Planning Your First Night Out
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/astronomy/stargazing-for-beginners-planning-your-first-night-out/63296
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