How to Make Up Your Own Star Constellation
Choose a clear, dark night., Grab a waterproof blanket., Take a small, empty picture frame., Move your frame around., Look for patterns., Connect the dots., Assemble a novel star system., Consult a star chart., Draw your constellation., Name your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a clear
Pick a moonless night with as few clouds as possible.
Also, try to minimize light pollution by getting away from street lights. -
Step 2: dark night.
You will need something comfortable and waterproof to lie on while stargazing.
Otherwise, moisture from the soil beneath you can leach upwards, making your experience messy. , The night sky is filled with thousands of stars, as many as 2500 to 5000 visible to the naked eye.Looking through a picture frame will help capture within your view a small portion of the stars above you. , Look for closely grouped clusters of stars.
Brighter stars will be easier to spot and work with.
Planets, the most brilliant objects in the night sky after the moon, can be useful too. , Throughout history sailors and navigators have looked for patterns in the arrangement of stars.
See if you can assemble any stars into the outline of a familiar object: a cat, house or tree.
If you’ve ever practiced cloud-gazing, it’s a similar process. , Now imagine drawing straight lines between these prominent points in the sky.
Can you see the outline of your object taking shape? , Branch out and try to create a new constellation rather than merely copying an existing one.
Going beyond the norm gives you an opportunity to be truly creative! , Now that you’ve created a new star system you need to locate it in relation to an existing constellation so you don’t lose track of it.
There are a number of online star maps you can consult and print off as a reference.
You might be able to see a portion of your new constellation within part of an existing cluster.
If so, grab your flashlight, pen and paper and take note of its position compared to a well-known cluster. , With your flashlight, pen and paper start drawing the stars in your constellation.
Take note of the brighter stars and dimmer stars and label them accordingly.
Use larger dots for bigger stars and smaller dots for dimmer stars.
You might also want to draw lines between star endpoints to give your constellation its final shape. , Choose a title for your constellation.
There are currently 88 named constellations in use by astronomers today.That leaves you thousands of possibilities for labeling.
So the sky’s the limit! -
Step 3: Grab a waterproof blanket.
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Step 4: Take a small
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Step 5: empty picture frame.
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Step 6: Move your frame around.
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Step 7: Look for patterns.
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Step 8: Connect the dots.
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Step 9: Assemble a novel star system.
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Step 10: Consult a star chart.
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Step 11: Draw your constellation.
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Step 12: Name your creation.
Detailed Guide
Pick a moonless night with as few clouds as possible.
Also, try to minimize light pollution by getting away from street lights.
You will need something comfortable and waterproof to lie on while stargazing.
Otherwise, moisture from the soil beneath you can leach upwards, making your experience messy. , The night sky is filled with thousands of stars, as many as 2500 to 5000 visible to the naked eye.Looking through a picture frame will help capture within your view a small portion of the stars above you. , Look for closely grouped clusters of stars.
Brighter stars will be easier to spot and work with.
Planets, the most brilliant objects in the night sky after the moon, can be useful too. , Throughout history sailors and navigators have looked for patterns in the arrangement of stars.
See if you can assemble any stars into the outline of a familiar object: a cat, house or tree.
If you’ve ever practiced cloud-gazing, it’s a similar process. , Now imagine drawing straight lines between these prominent points in the sky.
Can you see the outline of your object taking shape? , Branch out and try to create a new constellation rather than merely copying an existing one.
Going beyond the norm gives you an opportunity to be truly creative! , Now that you’ve created a new star system you need to locate it in relation to an existing constellation so you don’t lose track of it.
There are a number of online star maps you can consult and print off as a reference.
You might be able to see a portion of your new constellation within part of an existing cluster.
If so, grab your flashlight, pen and paper and take note of its position compared to a well-known cluster. , With your flashlight, pen and paper start drawing the stars in your constellation.
Take note of the brighter stars and dimmer stars and label them accordingly.
Use larger dots for bigger stars and smaller dots for dimmer stars.
You might also want to draw lines between star endpoints to give your constellation its final shape. , Choose a title for your constellation.
There are currently 88 named constellations in use by astronomers today.That leaves you thousands of possibilities for labeling.
So the sky’s the limit!
About the Author
Carolyn Rodriguez
Experienced content creator specializing in DIY projects guides and tutorials.
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