Reach for the Stars!
Exploring the Night Sky
by Natalia Diaz
“Mom, why do stars twinkle?” Or, “Where did the moon go?” Or, “Is Mars further away from Pluto?” How about, “How can I get to Venus? Are there aliens there?” Okay, we don’t have all the answers but we do have some ideas to get you started. Checking out the dreamy night sky is as easy as grabbing a flashlight, finding a spot on the grass and looking up. Here are some star gazing tips, including activities, to make your exploration a success.
What is a star?
A star is a big ball of gas that changes color and size over billions of years. On any given night, up to two thousand stars light up the sky – each one unique in shape and form. You can see stars best on a clear night in a dark spot, away from bright lights.
You can also see a star during the day. The sun is the brightest and biggest star in our universe—and probably the one that kids are most familiar with. This five-billion-year-old star is easy to spot, which makes it a great place to begin when teaching your kids about star gazing. If you’re an early riser, watch the sun rise in the east. The whole process takes about a half hour and engages your child with cool colors and a first look at the gradual transformation from night to day. If you’re more of a night owl, the sun sets in the west so you and your child can watch the reverse process together when the sun goes down.
Shooting stars: Shooting stars are stars that collide with Earth as it moves around the sun. They heat up, glow, and then burn down. It’s common to see one every 15 minutes but they often move so quickly through the air that if you blink, you’ll miss them!
Twinkling stars : These are the easiest stars to spot. Most stars shine with a steady light but when wind or debris pass through them, the light bends and they appear to twinkle.
Constellations: Stars are usually grouped in clusters (commonly referred to as constellations). Constellations form dot-to-dot patterns of heroes, animals, and gods. Although the clusters may appear to be close together, they are actually far distances apart and visible only at certain times of the year.
The universe is made up of 88 constellations but we can only see 12 from Earth. Libra is one of the easier zodiac signs to spot in the sky because it looks like a scale. Another formation that is easy to spot is the Big Dipper. The familiar bowl and handle of the Big Dipper is composed of seven stars and part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Big Bear. The two stars at the end of the bowl are called the Pointer Stars because a line drawn between them points to Polaris, the North Star. Before there were sky maps, explorers used the North Star as a navigation aid and astronomers used it to chart other stars.
To identify more stars and constellations, use a star map to help you track what you see. The key is to start with the brightest stars and the clearest formations until you get the hang of it.
