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Parenting
- Family- Things are Looking Up
Real Families, Real FUN: Get Out!
Stargazing: Things Are Looking Up -- And So Are We
By Elizabeth Wells for Real Families, Real Fun
The sky is full of stories waiting to be discovered. For
centuries, people have seen these same points of light in
the night sky. Stories borne out of the many constellations
that eyes around the world have spent hours gazing up at,
have been passed on from generation to generation. We can
see these same images and share these same stories today.
All you need is a clear night, a little patience, and some
imagination.
A family in Los Angeles suggests adding the perfect background
music. "Starwatching," by The Happy Crowd provides
lyrics that are right on target: "What a beautiful
sight....We put our blanket out on the lawn...and we're
star watching, what a beautiful night."
To prepare for a fun and successful night of star-gazing,
you'll need a star map and a story or two about the major
constellations. The Internet has many sites that provide
these maps and stories. These sites include:
Let the kids know that there is a special event planned
for them, gather your star map, a flashlight, a small notebook
and a printout of a mythological story or two. You'll also
want to include a few creature comforts such as lawn chairs,
blankets, and bug spray. A Pennsylvania mom promised a late
night treat but with a trade-off--the kids spent some extra
time in their rooms in the afternoon. That night, the same
mom put red bandannas over the ends of the flashlights to
keep the ambient light at a minimum..
You can view many of the stars from your yard, or a safe
park or rooftop if you're in a city-- just avoid house and
streetlights as best you can. The best viewing is away from
city lights. If you have access to a safe country location,
your results will be even better. You'll notice that more
stars become visible while you wait the half hour that it
takes your eyes to fully adjust.
Just like any other map, you need to find where you are
in order to locate anything else. The Big and Little Dippers
are parts of two larger constellations known as Ursa Major
and Ursa Minor. The dippers, which look like ladles in the
sky, are good reference points for the other constellations.
First locate the Big Dipper. The two stars on the outside
of its ladle also are called the Pointers. Follow a straight
line from the Pointers upward out from the ladle to the
North Star. The line will curve slightly as it follows the
curve of the sky, and it will be about five times the distance
between the two Pointers. The North Star, also called Polaris,
is the end star on the handle of the Little Dipper. You
will be facing north. Polaris isn't the brightest star in
the sky. It isn't even as bright as five of the brightest
stars in the Big Dipper, but it is the brightest star in
its region of the sky. Sometimes it's hard to see all the
"inside" stars of the Little Dipper. Once you've
locked in on the dippers and know that you are facing north
when you face Polaris, the rest of the sky will fall in
place for you quite easily--honest! According to the B.
family, "We had no trouble finding the dippers. Even
without a map it only took a few minutes."
The stories of these ladles in the sky are also are a good
place to start. Two good ones are at www.windows.umich.edu
and einstein.stcloudstate.edu/Dome.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are the bears in almost all mythological
sky references. After sharing the story with the kids, talk
about it a little. Then, using your star map, find it in
the sky. This pattern can be repeated each time you select
a new constellation to locate. Again, from the B's: "The
children had never heard the stories before so they enjoyed
them."
One 7-year-old boy from California loved the idea of keeping
a journal of all his star sightings: "Bill was so excited
to write all the details by the light of the sky and our
flashlight," declared Bill, Sr. Record each constellation
in your notebook after you find it, noting the date, time,
weather and any other important observations. The log will
help you keep track of what you have seen and when.
Most of all, be patient. It took hundreds of centuries for
the stories of the constellations to emerge. Don't expect
to find everything all in one evening. The more nights you
spend exploring the skies, the more you'll find up there.
Indoors or out, the sky is a source of endless fascination.
TAKE IT FROM ME:
Before heading out for the night, show the kids the constellations
on the star map so they know what to look for when you get
outside.
© Studio
One Networks
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