LETS GET STARTED

FINDING CONSTELLATIONS

First click on STARMAPS.This is the home page for the PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER in Seattle Washington. Go to the "quick finder bar" and select "PLANETARIUM". Scroll down about 2 pages and look for starmaps and click on it. . Print out STARMAP for SEPT/OCT. While still on the monthly starmap page click on PLANETS THIS MONTH. Print. This document you will need to get weekly. Every week Galaxy Girl? Why? Because planet move and stars don't. (If you scroll down to the bottom of the sky at a glance page you can have it emailed to you weekly!).

PUTTING YOUR STARMAP TO USE

Your starmap comes with instructions to use. To get a better idea of how the sky will really look try this:

Looking at the printed side of your starmap, hold map up to the ceiling. Point the north, south, east and west in the direction they are facing from your house. This is how the sky will look, only with a little more space between the constellations. Just keep looking up! The constellations on your starmaps are very bright and easy to spot in the sky. Everynight study your starmap whether stars are out or not. Imprint the shapes of the constellations in your brain. When you do get a starry night and think you found a shape that matches a constellation do this:

1. Look at starmap and make sure the time you're looking is same as time on map.
2-Make sure the constellation is in the same area (north, south, east, or west).
3. Look at the brightness of each star in the group. If these three items match up you probably found a constellation!!!
4. Go celebrate now by making your first starnotes entry.

SEEING PLANETS AND OTHER CELESTIAL WONDERS

Many objects described will be visible at sunset. Only the brightest objects will show at first making identification easier. Planets are hard to miss They look like very bright stars.

NOW WHAT?!

With just the little amount of information I have given you, your knowledge of the night sky will snowball very quickly. With as little a commitment as a half hour a night two or three nights a week. .In a month you should be able to identify at least 5 constellations from your star map. If you have been looking at your "Sky at a glance page", you've probably seen at least one planet and can now identify at least two stars. Ohh I bet you've seen at least one shooting star! (did you report it to starnotes?) Though starnotes is mainly for reporting meteor showers, I want beginners (and even the more experienced) to also report first sightings of stars planets, and constellations. This will help other beginners see how easy and ho;w little time it really takes. Next you will want to identify stars- We will start with the Big Dipper.

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Webmaster: T. Monson-Revised Oct 19 2000 [TM]