Learn how to find constellations and navigate by the stars

Started by DocJon · 8 posts · 2,078 views

  1. #1
    I used to do some stargazing, but never got into the constellations. I didn't see how they looked anything like bears, archers, etc. I did learn the Big Dipper, but mostly I focused on planets. If you have a few minutes with nothing to do, the following link will teach you a few constellations, how to find the North Star and Betelgeuse, and how to find north at night. It's surprisingly easy and painless.

    http://www.quietbay.net/Science/astronomy/nightsky/
  2. #2
    That was a cool post. I used to know many of the constellations and certainly many stars, that has since faded.
  3. #3
    very cool! 😎
  4. #4
    I actually use to knew Orions belt was three stars, but I haven't been able to find them in a while.

    That was way cool. Now I can teach my daughter. Thanks Doc!
  5. #5
    Atomm wrote:I actually use to knew Orions belt was three stars, but I haven't been able to find them in a while.

    That was way cool. Now I can teach my daughter. Thanks Doc!

    No problem. Does that make up for the four minutes of your life I wasted showing you Ephil's video? 😛

    I love the internet. It's incredible to me the stuff I find, by ACCIDENT, on a daily basis. 15 years ago, if I wanted to learn about something, I had to go to a store and hope they had a good book or two on the subject I was interested in, or else I had to go to ANOTHER store. Or a library, and then maybe a second library. Now I take it for granted that the world is at my fingertips, literally.

    I used to look forward to trips to the Buhl Planetarium, because I knew they had good books in their gift shop. When I was around 10 or 11, I used to call the Buhl Planetarium when I had questions. Their Director at the time, Paul Oles, used to write the occasional article about upcoming eclipses and meteor showers for the Pittsburgh Press, and more often than not, I'd end up talking to him. What kind of guy with his responsibilities picks up the phone and answers questions for kids, patiently and helpfully? I got lucky there.

    If I had to choose between TV and the Internet, it would be no contest. Hell, I pretty much spend all my free time on the internet now!
  6. #6
    Good find! I actually knew most of this (was taught this by a fellow worker one night), so it was fun
    fun to try my hand at it again .
  7. #7
    Varg! Good to see ya bud!
  8. #8
    Sarge wrote:Varg! Good to see ya bud!


    Heya Sarge! Sorry for not being around for the last 6 months, I sort of got ticked off with BF2
    and deleted the thing