Lately I’ve been working on some short programs that teach people how to star-hop around the sky. These are for planetarium use in those presentations we’ve traditionally called the “Green Arrow” shows. If you’ve been to a planetarium and have been taught how to find a few constellations, then you’ve experienced one of these unique lectures. Back when I used to work at a planetarium, those were my favorite shows to give because I got to interact with the audience in the dark and tell them great stuff like how to leap to Leo from Spica, and how to find the north pole star by using the pointer stars in the Big Dipper. I’d usually tell people that they were free to ask questions because, hey—it was a dark room and I couldn’t see them, and there was no such thing as a dumb question. That last statement was always a challenge to the smartypants in the crowd, who would sit there in the dark figuring out the dumbest-sounding thing they could ask, just to find out what I’d say. I was always waiting and had a whole arsenal of snappy answers for ’em!
But, back to the starry skies. Stargazing and starhopping aren’t that hard, actually. But, I admit, it is a bit intimidating to go out on a clear night and try to find your way around, especially if you haven’t done it before. I usually recommend that people get starwheels or beginner’s books to help them get their bearings in the sky (In fact, I’ve reviewed some (also called “planispheres”) on my web pages at: Practical Astronomy and Beginner’s Products.)
I’m always looking out for new books and products that help people with a taste for exploring the stars. Of course, if you have a planetarium near by, it never hurts to go over for a “green arrow show.” They usually call them “The Sky Tonight” or something like that, and they’re usually about 15-30 minutes of easy-to-follow stargazing instructions. It’s not quite like being under the real sky, but it’s better than trying to read a book in the dark!
Okay, so let’s say you’ve been to the planetarium, or you’re one of those unlucky folks who don’t have one nearby, and you’re looking for a book to help you out. My favorites (which I’ve outlined on the web page linked above) are David Chandler’s Planispheres, H.A. Rey’s Find the Constellations, and a new entry on my web pages, Stikky Night Skies This link will take you directly to Amazon.com’s web page, which has some of the interior pages pasted up for you to look at.
The publisher sent me a copy a couple of months ago and I wasn’t sure what to expect. After all my years of teaching in the planetarium, it didn’t seem like you could duplicate the experience on a page. But, as I played with this book and went through its exercises a couple of times, I decided that while it’s not JUST like the planetarium, it is about as close as you’re going to get on the printed page. I like it!
It’s just the sort of thing you could read indoors on a bad-weather night to prepare yourself for the next time the stars are out. It’s really a delightful book, very clever in its layout and the way it teaches you how to starhop, and what to recognize in the night sky. I didn’t try it outdoors, but I would imagine you’d need a flashlight (with red gel on it so you don’t muck up your dark adaptation!), and bit of patience to try and see the pages because they are, after all, lots of little white dots on black paper. And that’s a fair approximation of the sky on a printed page.
Once you’ve learned a little starhopping from the H.A. Rey or the Stikky Night Skies or you’re planisphere, and you know a few constellations, it’s time to move on to some binocular astronomy. That’s where David Chandler’s Exploring the Night Sky With Binoculars” (described on this page ) will come in very handy.
I have to admit that when I’m out stargazing, I’m just as likely to head out without anything but my own Version 2.0 eyeballs (1.0 is without correction; 2.0 is with correction). Then, if I spot something I want to look at more closely, I run back in the house and grab the binoculars! These chilly winter nights (in New England!) aren’t too conducive to long sessions at the telescope, although I must admit, I DO want to get a peek through the scope at the Orion Nebula one of these nights!
Whatever your motivation for wanting to learn more about the stars, just remember, the first step is to out and look up! Sooner or later you’ll find yourself wanting to know more, and that’s where the planetarium, the books, the planispheres, and everything else will feed your quest for starry knowledge!
