Stars

If I had to navigate by the stars I’d be lost . . . all the time.  I marvel at people who can look to the night time sky and see, name and recite the history of the constellations.  Sometimes I can find the big dipper.  Sometimes.

Stars in general are cool.  I learned that the only star in the good old Milk Way is the sun.  So all the sparkle in the night sky comes from (to quote George Lucas) “a galaxy far, far, away.” Wow.

Remember I love to use my imagination.  I wonder if planets around those stars have our sun in their constellations.

A bright star is closer to us than a star that doesn’t shine as bright.  I know, duh.  But a star shines uniformly in all directions so, imagination again, think of all the galaxies that can see Polaris (the North Star), and that use it for their navigation.  Now that sounds like a good story idea.

I read two great books while researching this blog.  I always put my sources at the end of the blog but I have to recommend one here.  Janice Van Cleave’s Constellations for Every Kid.  (John Wiley and Sons, ©1997, Janice Van Cleave).   It was very informative and it had all 88 recognized constellations, when and where in the sky they appear. 

Another fun thing I discovered, there is an observatory on top of the library in a town near mine.  The telescope takes pictures that are posted on their website.  (www.pewaukeeastro.com)  They also have public presentations once a month.  Maybe they can help me find the big dipper.

Pack out what you pack in.

Sources:

Janice Van Cleave’s Constellations for Every Kid, John Wiley and Sons, © 1997, Janice Van Cleave.

Explore the Solar System – Earth and Earth’s Moon © 2011 World Books, Inc., Chicago, IL 60601

Yes this is the moon.  It was too early for the stars to shine.