Look to the Stars!

Look to the Stars!
In much of the country, January is a cold and snowy month that keeps most people indoors. But January is also a terrific month for stargazing. After spending the summer and fall with our eyes focused on growing things in the dirt, it makes for a nice change to turn our gaze to the night sky.
Here’s what you’ll need for a stargazing adventure:

A star map. On a clear, moonless night, a thousand or more stars are visible. To help you decipher things, pick up a star map or astronomy book at your local library.

Binoculars. If you don’t have a pair, that’s ok. Your naked eyes will be able to see quite a bit. If you feel like taking your stargazing to the next level, consider purchasing a telescope.

Lots of layers and something warm to drink! January weather can range from chilly to downright frigid depending on where you live. So be prepared with lots of layers of clothing, blankets, a hat and gloves, and a mug of hot chocolate!

Clear skies. Pick a place that has very little light pollution. Light from buildings, streetlights, a campfire, and even moonlight will make it harder for your eyes (which take about 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness) to see stars and planets. The darker the night, the better the stargazing. Remote, rural areas or the tops of hills tend to offer the best views.
Here are a few tips to help you identify the celestial objects overhead:

The moon is the most prominent object in the night sky. One side of the moon is always lit by the sun, but we can’t always see the entire lighted part, which is what gives the moon its phases (full, crescent, quarter, etc.). We only ever see one side of the moon because its rotation (spin) is the same as its revolution (its orbit around Earth).

Planets orbit the sun, so they change position when compared to the stars. They also reflect a steady light, unlike the “twinkling” stars, which are much farther from Earth.

The planet Venus, sometimes called the “evening star” or “morning star,” is the second brightest object in the sky. It is generally visible early in the morning before the sun rises or later in the day, just after sunset depending on the time of year.

Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are often visible later at night than Venus. Mars, particularly if seen through a telescope, will have a reddish color.

The night sky is divided into 88 constellations, most of which are visible from the United States at different times of the year.