A quick guide to reading the night sky for he novice

[PVnRT]

Great little tutorial:

http://www.quietbay.net/Science/astronomy/nightsky/

[elocs]

1. Interesting, but I still don't get it and never have. I wish I did,

but I think those who named the constellations were doing some serious drugs.

[SheilaT]

2. Great tutorial!

A friend emailed it to me a while back. Because I have a son who is a serious astronomy buff, I already knew the stuff in the tutorial, but everyone else ought to go through it, and then go outside on a clear night.

[SharonAnn]

3. Thank you! I'm going to use this at the Boys & Girls Club. They're

always looking for interesting topics to use in the computer class.

I find the best things on DU.

You guys are great.

[TlalocW]

4. Pretty cool

I've always been able to find Orion, his belt, the stars Betelgeuse and Bellatrix, the big dipper, and the North Star, but Casseiopeia and the area where the other planets normally appear were new things to me.

TlalocW

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Oh way cool tool.

Out here in the semi dark country, stars are easier to spot.

Naming them however, I am not that good at.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Pretty cool!

Hard to see that many stars in the city. :-(

[puerco-bellies]

7. Way freaking cool.

I could find Betelgeuse before but just because of it's color. This was a very useful link. I am heading up to the Sierra's a week from Monday. I will be on a hill top for anywhere from 1-4 nights on a prayer/fasting. Since it also means no water, I may not last more then two days. I will see if I can bring a star chart along with my flute.

[pokerfan]

8. Cool

Astronomy is one of my passions.

Everyone should know how to find the Andromeda galaxy which, at a distance of 2.5 million light-years, is one of the most distant naked-eye objects. And fall is a great time to see it:





First find the Great Square of Pegasus, then use the star chart to "sky hop" to Andromeda.

It appears small without a telescope because only the central part is bright enough to be visible, but the full angular diameter of the galaxy is seven times that of the full moon!

Recent observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope revealed that M31 contains over one trillion (10¹²) stars, greatly exceeding the number of stars in our own galaxy. To help comprehend such a large number, try to imagine the size of last week's Wall Street bailout.