get outside... starwatching tips
discover the night sky
After you've watched the animation you might want to read this information and do some of the activities.
observation tips
Follow these guideines. With a few exceptions - like meteor showers - astronomy takes time. Remember Galilio? Be patient!
- Watch the news or read the weather forecast. For successful observation you need clear weather conditions. It should not be too cloudy, windy or humid. Remember moonless nights are the best!
- Choose a safe location as far away as possible from streetlights and house lights. Observe with friends and relatives so it’s safe.
- Take a blanket or a garden chair, lie back and look at the sky. The evenings can be chilly so bring a thermos of hot chocolate. If it is summer, don’t forget insect repellent!
- It takes your eyes up to 30-45 minutes to adjust to the darkness. When your eyes are adjusted you’ll see more specks in the sky.
- If you are using equipment, like binoculars or a telescope, allow plenty of time for the instrument to slowly adjust to the air temperature. If condensation forms do not wipe it off! It could scratch the lens. Let the condensation evaporate by itself.
- Bring a torch for reading star charts but cover the lens with red cellophane. Red light doesn’t affect night vision as much. It will make viewing the night better.
Try to observe the same object at different times. The object appears as a spot of light in the sky. The planets don’t give out light but they will be the brightest objects in the sky. The reason they are so bright and large is because they are close and the light from the Sun bounces off them so they shine.
- Make a log to watch a particular star. Note the date and the position. You can look at plots of the night sky on the internet.
Don’t get discouraged! You can’t observe all the night sky at once. Why not look at a new star constellation each time.
starmap - a planisphere
A Planisphere is a special star map. It is very useful. It shows all the star constellations and lets you know which stars are visible at different times of the year.
Depending on where you are in the world you'll need a Planisphere relevant to your area. If you are living in North Europe you'll need a Planisphere over the Northern Hemisphere.
Activity: Make a Planisphere
You can buy a Planisphere in most bookshops or visit the Washington & Jefferson college website to find out how to make one yourself.
Activities: download the activity sheets here and follow the guidelines.
Activity: Who is hiding in the sky?
Join up the dots and discover who is hiding in the Sky
Activity: The universe inside a shoebox.
Is that possible? Have a look and make one yourself.
the international space station (ISS)
The International Space Station is a laboratory in Space. There are always astronauts on board. They come from all over the world to do research on the ship. They take samples from space.
You can learn more about the International Space Station on the NASA web site.
Spot the ISS
It is possible to spot the Space Station from Earth.
Visit this page to find out when the ISS is next visible from where you live.
Activity: Make your own model of the International Space Station.
The International Space Station changes all the time. Depending on the mission, the astronauts fit new parts on to the station.
This page shows photographs of how the space ship has changed since it was first sent up in space 2001. Look at the pictures and let them inspire you to make your own model of the International Space Station.
If you want to make an exact model of the International Space Station go to this site.
Enough said!
Now - GET OUTSIDE!
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