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How to Identify Stars & Planets in the Sky

Gazing up at the night sky can leave you in awe and wonderment of all the stars and planets in the sky. On particularly clear nights, the sky can appear crowded with the celestial bodies. Even when the sky seems bustling with bright objects, you can use a star chart to identify planets, stars and constellations. Soon you will be able to familiarize yourself with some of the sky's most prominent celestial bodies.

Things You'll Need

Star chart
Compass

Instructions

- 1
  Use a sky chart for the current season. Different planets and stars appear during different times of the year. Use the sky map with the corresponding season to accurately locate celestial bodies.
- 2
  Orient your star chart according to the direction you are facing. If unsure, use a compass to establish your direction. Next, turn the star chart so the compass rose located on the map matches the handheld compass.
- 3
  Analyze the star chart and pick only a few stars, planets, or a single constellation to analyze (trying to analyze the entire sky with the entire chart becomes overwhelming). Also, notice that the stars on the chart have different sizes. The size differential represents brightness, with the largest stars being the brightest.
- 4
  Look at the sky and try to find the few stars, planets or constellation you analyzed on the chart. Once successfully found, try to find other celestial bodies to study. With continued practice, you eventually will be able to identify many stars and planets without a sky chart.

Astronomy