Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy)

The Starting Point

I am sure that almost everyone has seen the stars, or at least one of them. Of course, that one, is our own sun. There, in our daily sky, is the star that makes our life possible. We take it for granted that, day after day, it will be there. What too many people fail to grasp is that it's kind fill our sky at night: almost every point of light in our night sky is a sun. Many people think our sun is special, but it isn't. Our sun is a fairly average star. It is a middle aged member of a large family. With names like brown dwarf, red dwarf, red giant and super giant, there is a hint of how diverse that family is. Bright, dim, large, small, young, and old, stars span the gamut.

How to Start

It can be as simple as stepping outside on a clear night and looking up. What do you see? Just little blue points of light? Are you sure? Look around for some of the brighter ones. As your eyes adjust you will see that there really is a variation in the color. Don't forget the age old astronomical game of connect the dots. Just as we can find familiar shapes in the clouds, there are shapes in the stars. From the simple Big Dipper, to the obscure Norma, humanity has conjured up all sorts of figures in the night sky. Once I learned the Greek legends surrounding the constellation of Orion, it became easy to see the whole picture involving Orion the Hunter, Taurus the Bull, Lepus the Hare, and Canis Major and Minor, Orion's dogs.

When you reach the point where you say to yourself 'I wonder what that is', it's time to get a map. A map, or star chart, will help you find the constellations and get you started on a more detailed vision of the night sky. There are many resources for such maps: the internet, books, monthly astronomy magazines, and computer programs. My personal favorite for general observation are the ones published in Sky & Telescope magazine, and Astronomy magazine. Magazines are easily portable and provide information on upcoming astronomical events.

When you start using a map, you'll want to invest in a flash light that emits dim red light. Red won't affect your night vision very much, and is as simple to make as covering the lens with some brown wrapping paper, or red plastic. Star charts, vary in the amount of detail in them. Some are made for naked eye observation, others can show overwhelming detail. Start off with something like the magazines print, they are oriented towards unaided, or low power observation. You may notice objects marked on your map that you can't seem to see, some of them with designations such as or M33. These items are Messier Objects. If you've been bitten by the astronomy bug and you want to check them out, it's time to rummage through your closets to find your first astronomical instrument: binoculars.

The Aided Eye

Armed with a little visual help, you can now probe a little deeper into the night sky. Let me recommend one helpful hint: at this point, don't worry too much about individual stars. While stars are interesting, and well worth studying, binoculars are more suited for objects that are more than a single point of light. For those of you far enough north, find the Andromeda galaxy, or M13 the globular cluster in Hercules. Find the Milky Way and trace it's path across the sky. Look at the constellation of Sagittarius for the nebula and clusters there. The farther south you are reveals Omega Centauri, the Coal Sack and more.

Stretching The Limits

Moving beyond binoculars opens up such a range of options, that I can only begin to describe it. On the most fundamental level, a decent telescope lets you peer deeper into space and see more detail. However, don't put away those binoculars. There are many things that need to be seen in context of their surroundings, such as the Double Cluster, or the Coat Hanger. The study of our night sky can lead you to unexpected places, because astronomy has many different aspects. The Moon, planets, stars, eclipses, occultations, asteroids, and comets are all candidates for study. If you want, you can make useful contributions to the science of Astronomy. With nothing more than the desire to look, you can begin to study the stars, and start a journey that can take you to the ends of the universe.