Download a stargazing app and identify constellations, planets, and deep-sky objects. Understanding our place in the cosmos is both humbling and inspiring.
📑Table of Contents
How to Get Started
GETTING STARTED (30 minutes)
Download stargazing app: SkyView (free), Star Walk 2, or Stellarium (free desktop)
Learn to use app: Point at sky, see what you're looking at, identify objects
Find dark spot: Away from city lights, darker = more stars visible
Check weather: Clear skies needed, check forecast before going out
LEARNING THE BASICS (30 minutes)
Start with bright objects: Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn - easiest to find
Learn major constellations: Big Dipper, Orion, Cassiopeia - use as landmarks
Understand the sky: North Star (Polaris), how stars move, seasonal changes
Read about what you see: Learn about planets, stars, galaxies you're viewing
YOUR FIRST STARGAZING SESSION (1 hour)
Go outside: 30 minutes after sunset, let eyes adjust to darkness (20 minutes)
Use your app: Point at sky, identify what you see, learn names
Find the Moon: Easiest object, see craters, phases, always changing