How to View Stars for Beginners

Choose a clear night when the moon is not very bright to view the stars.

Go to a place of higher elevation to stargaze; the higher your location, the less atmospheric interference and light pollution there will be.

Use a star map if you wish to locate constellations, clusters, planets and any other interesting features of the night's sky. Books on astronomy tend to have star maps, and astronomy-related magazines also contain them.

Locate the seven stars that form the Big Dipper, which is an asterism. An asterism is a portion of a constellation that forms its own shape. The Big Dipper is a part of the constellation called Ursa Major, which looks like a bear. From the United States, you can find it by looking to the north, using your compass to help.

Look for a backwards question mark, which forms part of the Leo the Lion constellation. The dot of the question mark is a very bright star called Regulus. Leo's rear haunches are a triangle shape formed by three stars on the back of the backwards question mark.

Find the V shape of Taurus the Bull toward the south. The bull's eye is Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri), which is the bright star in this constellation.

Look for Orion's belt, which is next to Taurus the Bull. You will see three stars close together in a diagonal, and it's clearer in the winter. The belt is in Orion's midsection. The two brighter stars outside the diagonal, called Rigel and Betelgeuse, make a rectangle shape that forms Orion.

Find the cross-shaped Cygnus the Swan, which will be approximately directly above you. You can best look at it lying down. The bright star Deneb, which is nicknamed the "Northern Cross," is at one end.

Look for a hook shape during the summer months gazing low, near the horizon, and you'll see Scorpius the Scorpion. It is best seen from the Southern U.S. Find the bright star with a red glow. This is Antares, the heart of Scorpius.