{"id":867,"date":"2016-02-29T13:33:56","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T20:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/?p=867"},"modified":"2024-03-04T09:59:36","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T16:59:36","slug":"night-skies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/night-skies\/","title":{"rendered":"Night Skies: Watch and Enjoy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Star light, star bright, what is that star I see tonight? Astronomy can be a bit intimidating. It\u2019s difficult to know where to start.<\/p>\n<p>Appreciating the skies does take a little patience, and practice. But it\u2019s just like anything else. Start simple, learn some basics, and expand as you go. There are no age requirements\u2014astronomy is a great hobby to enjoy with your family.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine living hundreds of years ago. There were no computers, no electricity, and no city lights. When it got dark, it got dark. With no lights blotting out the star light, and no electronic distractions, people saw wonderful images in the sky, told stories about them, and shared in the wonder.<\/p>\n<p>Today our skies aren\u2019t as dark and we have more distractions. Sometimes we forget to look up and remember that we\u2019re not the center of the universe!<\/p>\n<h2>Look for Easy Targets<\/h2>\n<p>There are millions of stars up there. Start by looking for a few major star shapes\u2014most are not complete constellations. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Big Dipper is visible all year. If you can find the Big Dipper, you can use the two stars in the cup of the dipper (farthest from the handle end) to point straight up out of the cup to Polaris, our North Star. There is nothing outstanding about this star\u2014it just happens to be above our north pole and serves as a direction finder.<\/p>\n<p>The southern sky changes depending on the season. In winter and early spring, look for the three stars that make up Orion\u2019s belt in the southern sky, surrounded by four stars that indicate his shoulders and feet. The summer horizon displays the curvy tail of Scorpius, one of the few constellations that looks like its name. To the left of the scorpion\u2019s tail is a large teapot, complete with handle and spout.<\/p>\n<h2>The Sky is a Road Map<\/h2>\n<p>Constellations are fun to find, but beyond the variety of images that cultures from all over the world have seen, these dot-to-dot star patterns serve as a road map to finding more interesting objects. Astronomers have 88 official constellations that are recognized across the globe so they can communicate and discover together the wonders of the universe.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, just below Orion\u2019s belt where you imagine his sword hangs, is the spectacular Orion nebula, a birthplace for new stars. Just looking at this spot with a good pair of binoculars reveals a magnitude of stars.<\/p>\n<p>Betelgeuse, a large red giant star on Orion\u2019s shoulder, is one of the largest stars we know of\u00a0 in our galaxy. If it were placed at the location of our Sun, it would extend out beyond the orbit of Jupiter.<\/p>\n<p>If you can find the teapot in summer, the Milky Way appears as steam coming out of the spout. Look just above the spout and you will be staring towards the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, loaded with countless stars and other celestial objects.<\/p>\n<p>With a telescope, you can use the star roadmap in the sky to find beautiful nebulas, star clusters, and galaxies not visible to the naked eye.<\/p>\n<p>Most importantly, look up and enjoy. Remember that you are part of something bigger.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_869\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-869\" style=\"width: 693px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-869\" src=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Betelgeuse.credit-nasa.gov_.png\" alt=\"The constellation Orion is one of the most recognizable in the sky. The large star Betelgeuse marks Orion's shoulder. (photo nasa.gov)\" width=\"693\" height=\"685\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Betelgeuse.credit-nasa.gov_.png 693w, https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Betelgeuse.credit-nasa.gov_-300x297.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 693px) 100vw, 693px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-869\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The constellation Orion is one of the most recognizable in the sky. The large star Betelgeuse marks Orion&#8217;s shoulder. (photo nasa.gov)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Learning More<\/h2>\n<p>To enhance your discoveries, try visiting <a href=\"https:\/\/nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov\/planner.cfm\"  >NASA&#8217;s Night Sky Planner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Another great way to spark your astronomy passion is going to a star party or astronomy program. Boulder County Parks &amp;\u00a0Open Space will offer several this year. Check <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bouldercounty.org\/os\/events\/pages\/poshikesevents.aspx\"  >Hikes &amp; Events<\/a>\u00a0for upcoming events.<\/p>\n<p>Spending time with others outdoors, especially with people who have telescopes, is a great way to learn more about the wonders hidden in the sky.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Star light, star bright, what is that star I see tonight? Astronomy can be a bit intimidating. It\u2019s difficult to know where to start. Appreciating the skies does take a little patience, and practice. But it\u2019s just like anything else. Start simple, learn some basics, and expand as you go. There are no age requirements\u2014astronomy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":868,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-spring-2016"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Night Skies: Watch and Enjoy - Images<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/science\/night-skies\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Night Skies: Watch and Enjoy - Images\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Star light, star bright, what is that star I see tonight? 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They are brightly colored, harmless, fly by day, and catch the eye as they flit from flower to flower. Lovely! But moths? Aren\u2019t they mostly drab night fliers that flutter around campfire lights, get in your face as you sit outdoors, and come\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wildlife&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wildlife","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/wildlife\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Moth","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-design.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-design.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-design.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-design.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-design.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1564,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/park-visitors\/best-seat-in-the-house-a-picnic-on-open-space\/","url_meta":{"origin":867,"position":3},"title":"Best Seat in the House: A Picnic on Open Space","author":"Staff","date":"05\/22\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The summer picnic is a time-honored way of bringing family and friends together with delicious food and the great outdoors. In the 17th century, the French term \u201cpique un niche\u201d meant \u201cpick a place.\u201d It was an isolated spot (a nook) where family or friends could enjoy a jolly meal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Park Visitors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Park Visitors","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/park-visitors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Picnic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/picnic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/picnic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/picnic.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/picnic.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/picnic.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1883,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/history\/lights-camera-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":867,"position":4},"title":"Lights, Camera, History!","author":"Staff","date":"12\/09\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Boulder County Parks & Open Space museums may be closed, but that doesn\u2019t stop the department\u2019s cultural history team from sharing local history. The COVID-19 pandemic meant that the Agricultural Heritage Center, Nederland Mining Museum, Assay Office Museum, Altona School, Cardinal Mill, and Walker Ranch Homestead didn\u2019t open, or host\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;History&quot;","block_context":{"text":"History","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Walker Ranch Log House","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/log-house.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/log-house.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/log-house.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/log-house.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/log-house.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/log-house.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1516,"url":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/nature-detectives\/squirrels\/","url_meta":{"origin":867,"position":5},"title":"Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels Plus Arithmetic","author":"Staff","date":"03\/01\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Add 6+7 and your answer is the number of light and dark stripes on ground squirrels with an odd name. The name truly is thirteen-lined ground squirrel. In addition to thirteen cute stripes, their fur has orderly little spots. The cream-colored spots are more squarish than round, and they march\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nature Detectives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nature Detectives","link":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/category\/nature-detectives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nature Detectives","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/nature-detectives.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/nature-detectives.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/nature-detectives.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/nature-detectives.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/nature-detectives.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/nature-detectives.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=867"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2724,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867\/revisions\/2724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldercountyopenspace.org\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}