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How to Stargaze
How to Stargaze
Stargazing Checklist
Wait for a night that is clear and dark as
you can see more stars when the Moon is not
shining brightly. Get away from streetlights.
Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to
the dark.
Lawn chair and or blanket
A sturdy table or box to put under the
telescope (to avoid vibrations)
www.skymaps.com
for a chart
Warm clothing
Bug spray or hand warmers (in season)
Warm boots or sneakers (season)
Red flashlight (red cellophane)
Observing log to help you keep track of
the objects you see in the night sky.
Plan a break for food and drink, indoors,
away from the telescope
If you go to
www.southernmaineastronomers.
org
you will find on the home page a link to the
SMA Clear Sky Clock. The chart is a time line
for weather. If you click on the center of the
chart, you will find detailed explanations. On
the Clear Sky Chart home page, you will find a
link to other charts. Find the closest one to you
for local weather conditions.
For example, let’s use the SMA chart below:
The first 4 bars are the most important: Is it
cloudy? How clear is the sky? What is the seeing
and finally, how dark is it? The deeper blue the
squares are, the better. The chart below shows
acceptable nights for seeing. Light blue boxes
could indicate some jet stream turbulence.
SMA Clear Sky Clock found at: www.southernmaineastronomers.org
