Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Search for the moon, since it is the biggest and brightest object in the night sky. The moon is usually visible most anywhere, even in a big city, as long as you have a clear view of the sky. Sometimes it can even be seen on a cloudy night. Lunar eclipses are also best seen with the naked eye. Partial lunar eclipses occur at least twice a year, when the planets align, with Earth in the middle. Total lunar eclipses occur less often but both can be seen where the moon is visible.
Look for meteors in the sky on a clear night, away from city lights. Meteors, also called shooting stars, are much easier to see with the naked eye because they can occur anywhere in the sky. Looking through a telescope only allows you to see a small area of space, whereas the naked eye can see a much larger area. Artificial satellites can also been seen with the naked eye. They move rather quickly across the sky and are larger and brighter than most objects, aside from the moon.
Observe the Milky Way Galaxy on a clear night. The best time for viewing is away from city lights where a lot of stars are visible. All stars visible with the naked eye are part of the Milky Way Galaxy, and sometimes a white haze can also be seen.
Search for recognizable constellations that are visible in your area. The Big Dipper is shaped like a cooking pot with a long handle and can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere year-round because it remains above the horizon. The Little Dipper is also shaped like a cooking pot but is much smaller. It appears as a small cluster of stars and is also visible in the Northern Hemisphere, year-round. The two stars at the end of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to the Little Dipper.
Scan the night sky for planets that are visible in your area. Venus is the brightest planet and appears as white or light blue. It's much larger than surrounding stars and planets. Venus is the easiest planet to find and can be seen before sunrise in the Eastern sky and after sunset in the Western sky.