Genealogy

There are a billion and one reasons for an amateur astronomer to stay up at night to watch the sky when there are billions of stars in the Universe. If you’ve been bitten by the star astronomy bug - give in! Really, you will love it. It’s a very enjoyable hobby and hey! It’s cool to be a geek these days. Here are some things you might want to know to help you get started:

To help you find where the stars are in the heavens, get yourself a sky chart or ‘field guide’. You need a sky chart to help you locate a particular star since they are constantly moving, relative to the Earth. You can also map out the locations of different constellations and spot any star in the night sky by referring to your sky chart.

Sirius is the star that shines brightest in the northern hemisphere. You might also want to find the North Star, also known as Polaris. If you’re a little lost, look to the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) to show you the way. Find the ‘bowl’ or ‘ladel’ of the Dipper. The two stars located away from the handle are the Pointer Stars, called Dubhe and Merak. Follow where they point straight towards the North and you will find Polaris.

Don’t forget to enjoy the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor), Cassiopeia, Draco, Cepheus and other constellations – there are 88 of them, some of which are visible at different times of the year.

You can also watch for falling stars or meteor showers. Their appearance is usually announced on TV and in newspapers. On special nights, you can enjoy hundreds of the most beautiful sight streaking across the night sky.

Stars are categorized by brightness, which is measured by magnitude. The magnitude scale has the brightest stars having 0 or even negative magnitudes. For example, Sirius has a magnitude of -1.46. Vega, a star that shines bright during summer, has a magnitude 0. Polaris has a magnitude 2 and Antares has a magnitude 1. Stars with a magnitude of 29 need the Hubble Space telescope to be seen and get this: they are 250,000,000,000 times less bright than Vega.

You don’t really need a telescope to enjoy star astronomy, especially if you’re just starting out. In fact, a good pair of binoculars is your best bet - easier to use and often a lot clearer. However, to begin with, familiarize yourself with stars and constellations using just your naked eye. Once you’re familiar with the sky and where things are, look into purchasing a telescope for more detailed and focused observing.