Hobbies And Interests
Moon
The moon is the closet of any astronomical object to the earth. It has inspired myths in every culture, centuries of poetry -- both good and bad, as well as billions of dollars on research and exploration. Novice sky watchers may want to track the phases of the moon and note during which of those phases it can be seen during the day. Other neophyte moon watcher observation lessons include learning to tell the difference between a waxing and a waning crescent moon.
Stars
M.C. Escher, whose art depicted mathematical visions of infinity, wrote "It has always irked me as improper that there are still so many people for whom the sky is no more than a mass of random points of light. I do not see why we should recognize a house, a tree or a flower here below and not, for example, the red Arcturus up there in the heavens as it hangs from its constellation Bootes, like a basket hanging from a balloon." You can purchase a basic astronomy book to help you recognize the constellations and specific stars within them and learn to track their movements over time.
Meteor Showers
Comets orbiting the sun shed debris in a stream along their orbital paths. When the earth travels through these streams, we see meteor showers. Since both the earth's orbit and those of the comets are known, astronomers are able to track the annual recurrence of these showers. You can consult an astronomy reference book or a website such as Star Date to learn the times of upcoming meteor showers.
Planets
Depending on their position, the time when you look and your location, the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are sometimes visible in the night sky. All five of these planets move within 7 degrees of the earth's orbital plane, known as the ecliptic. You can download planetarium software or look at an astronomy website or magazine to know where in the sky to look for planets on specific days and what times they will be most visible.