The Milky Way is the name given to the visible portion of our galaxy in the night sky. The Milky Way contains hundreds to millions of stars; how many you can see depends on the equipment you use to look at the star, from your eyes to a large telescope. You can find a specific star either by using its coordinates if you have a telescope with a coordinate display or by using the hopping method. The manual of your computerized telescope will teach you how to find a star using their software, but will not tell you about the hopping method.
- Viewing instrument (eyes to telescope)
- Map of the sky
- Red light flashlight
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Instructions
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1
Open your atlas or night sky software. Locate the star you want to find in the sky using its name or coordinates.
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2
Find a bright star that is part of a constellation you can recognize and that is close to the star you want to find.
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3
Create a path of easily recognizable stars between the bright star and the one you want to find.
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4
Memorize the path before going outside.
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5
Find the bright star, and start hopping along the path you found. If you lose a step, check the printout or atlas using a red light.
