To observe the stars you have to be outdoors at night, which is not always convenient, even if the night sky is wonderful! However, it is possible to be comfortable thanks to the easy-to-follow tips presented in this article. The next time the sky is clear and you want to stargaze for an hour or more, grab your trusty notebook and get ready to gaze at the stars in a relaxed and comfortable way.
Steps
Step 1. Look at the weather forecast, or go to www.meteo.it
Find out if the sky will be clear enough to see the stars, and dress and equip yourself appropriately for the temperature and humidity level.
If a clear and dry night is expected it means that perhaps there will be no slight haze. The breeze can mean that there is less pollution near cities, but a strong wind can be very cold
Step 2. Check the moon phase and the times when the moon rises and sets
The light of the moon can soften that of the stars and prevent a nice viewing experience. No problem, however, if the moon sets early or rises late. Even if there is a moon you can still see planets and meteorites larger than a meteor shower.
Step 3. Choose a suitable place
You can observe the stars anywhere, as long as the sky is clear and there is little light pollution (light from various sources spreads into the atmosphere and interferes with the stars even if you don't look in the direction of the light source). Better to move away from cities and large countries to places where it is quite dark. The best places are usually in the higher hills (maybe there are some near where you live), in mountainous areas and in rural desert-like areas. Therefore you need a means to get there (bicycle, car, passage). Another good thing about these faraway places is that they are usually very relaxing.
- If you are downtown in a big city you will not see many stars (if you only see two or three, they are probably planets).
- On the outskirts and in small towns you can see the constellations.
- In rural areas and with no lights in your field of view you can see the Milky Way.
Step 4. Think about staying warm
Unless it's a hot summer night, most nocturnal observations mean cool or cold temperatures, which can put off the urge to be outdoors for too long.
- For winter or cold weather, suitable clothing should include: a jacket, hat, boots or boots, gloves, and layered clothing. For extreme cold situations you may also need thermal undergarments, a long-sleeved thermal shirt, thermal socks, a hand warmer, a balaclava, well-insulated boots, hand warmers and toe warmers.
- For summer or warm nights you should have a light jacket or cardigan, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and still dress in layers according to the temperature.
- It is best to start stargazing from home if you can. This way you can go home and change if necessary, and you can treasure this experience when you go stargazing in more distant places.
Step 5. Think about security
There are a few things to keep in mind when out and about at night stargazing so that the experience is safe and comfortable:
- In the dark, visibility is obviously reduced, so you will need to have a light source. Bring a good flashlight or spotlight that can illuminate the paths, the ground, and show any obstacles such as tree roots, stones, etc. along the way to the place chosen for observation. You can put red cellophane on the flashlight to help your eyes get used to the darkness or buy a flashlight with a red LED light. You may even get used to wearing sunglasses indoors before going out, so that the reduction in brightness is gradual.
- You may also need a product that protects against insects. Remember that some insects, such as mosquitoes, feed at night, and you can put yourself at a greater risk of contracting certain diseases if you observe the stars in places where these insects are.
- Check the safety of the place. When you are out at night stargazing, perhaps with expensive equipment, you get a little vulnerable, so make sure the area is safe. If you are not in your yard or on your property, it is best to hang out with other people.
- If you plan to go to an unfamiliar place or along hiking trails, bring a map with you. If you go to faraway places a guide would also be useful.
- If you have to leave home, let someone tell you what to do, where you need to go, what time you plan to return, and take your cell phone with you. That way someone can go find you if you don't come back at the time you planned. If you are a minor, always tell your parents or an adult what to do.
- If you are stargazing near a road or parking lot, make sure you are not in a dangerous position and that others can see you, so that some careless driver does not come to you. Your car must also stay away from traffic, but you should park it between you and the direction from which a hazard could be coming.
Step 6. Think about convenience
You could just stand up and raise your head to look at the sky, but your neck would not agree at all! The most comfortable way to observe the stars is to lie down on the ground and watch the sky above you; you can also try sitting and looking up. To make it a pleasant experience, try the following tips:
- Bring a folding chair or lawn chair. This way you won't tire your arms if you're holding binoculars or your legs. You can put a sleeping bag on the deck, so you are comfortable and warm.
- If you want to sit or lie on the grass, spread out a tarp to protect yourself from the cold ground. Also put a mat or blanket. You can also bring a pillow to sit on and maybe another blanket to wrap yourself in.
- If you are sitting, keep your legs straight so as not to block circulation.
- If you have to stay outside for a long time, a gas heater would be a very useful thing. Make sure you keep it away from the telescope, as the light and hot air it gives off can distort your vision.
- Use a good backpack, so that you are able to carry everything easily.
- The lowered seat of an open convertible car is perfect if you are not using a telescope (the car has shock absorbers and may move). Turn off the engine and use a blanket to keep warm.
Step 7. Bring the proper equipment for stargazing
Some things will make your astronomy experience much more exciting, especially if you want to observe more things about the stars than can be seen with the naked eye.
- Observe the depths of the sky with binoculars or a telescope. Research the equipment that is best for you to buy. You could borrow a friend's telescope or binoculars to see if you like them.
- Bring a compass to find objects in the night sky, including reference stars with which to orient the computerized telescope. Better yet, use an automatic star map like the Google Sky Map smartphone app: GPS and orientation sensors will automatically choose a map for the patch of sky your smartphone is headed to.
- A star map is a wise choice for aspiring astronomers - look for a laminated and luminescent one - it will be easier to read and handle.
- A camera suitable for taking photos of the stars. Photographing the moon and the trail of stars is quite easy.
Step 8. Prepare drinks and food
Being comfortable includes nutrition for sure, and hot drinks like chocolate, tea, coffee, or other favorite beverages are an ideal addition to your luggage. Also bring something to nibble on, such as cereal or other bars, cookies or a homemade dessert, or dried fruit or chocolate. Just remember not to overeat, you are not doing heavy physical activity after all!
If it's a romantic evening, bring some sparkling wine and chocolates too, but don't drink too much if you have to drive
Step 9. Let your eyes get used to the dark
The eyes need a time ranging from five to thirty minutes to get used to the brightness level of the place you are in. Set everything up and relax for a few minutes, and your eyes should be ready to stargaze. As your eyes adapt to the light conditions you will be able to see more and more stars. Enjoy the experience - amateur astronomers are as likely, if not more, to make some incredible discoveries as professionals.
- If you find it difficult to identify the dimmer stars, try using "peripheral vision". Look to the side of what you are trying to see. Peripheral vision is more sensitive to light and dark and makes it easier to see dim objects when the rest of the sky looks gray.
- Consider keeping a journal of everything you see. Over time you will be able to make comparisons, find anomalies and create an archive.
Advice
- To be more comfortable, bring a pillow to lean on.
- When you go camping you have a fantastic opportunity to observe the stars; you are away from lights and cities, have mats and sleeping bags available, and chances are you have clothes that keep you warm. Just beware of nocturnal animals and insects! You may even be able to see the stars while sitting around the fire.
- Bring some relaxing music and try to individualize the constellations.
- Let the binoculars and telescope adjust to the night temperature, or you may see a blurry image.
- Go out and stargazing at certain times of the year. The Perseid meteor shower, for example, can be seen well from the end of July, with its greatest activity between 12 and 13 August.
- Spend some time on astronomy sites and search for information on objects to look for in the sky. If you work hard before you go for observation, you will be rewarded by being able to understand what you are looking for, and you will be more focused on what you do. These sites will also help you understand the natural phenomena you will discover.
- It would be useful to bring a tent as well, so if the weather suddenly changed (and it started raining, for example) you could put everything under cover.
