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How to Teach Kids Identification of Constellations

From ancient times, people have looked at the night sky and given names and stories to the beautiful patterns of stars they find there. Teaching children to identify the constellations is a great way to spend time together and will help them develop an appreciation for natural beauty. Even a young child can learn to identify the largest and clearest constellations, but there is a vast field of constellation science, tradition and mythology for older children to explore.

Things You'll Need

Tape
Red cellophane
Flashlight
Star chart

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a piece of red cellophane that matches the face of your flashlight and tape it over the lens. Using red light to read star charts helps maintain night vision.
- 2
  Examine the night sky together with the child to orient yourselves on the star chart. The night sky changes by season and depending on where you are observing the sky from. Find the North Star, Orion or the Big Dipper in the sky and turn your map so that it matches what you see in the sky.
- 3
  Pick a constellation on the map together and try to find its stars in the night sky. Use the red flashlight to view the star map as necessary, doing your best to depend on the light only sparingly.

Astronomy