Astronomy Challenges for the Novice Observer

I realize that the advertisements in the astronomy magazines make you want to go out and immediately make a telescope purchase, but if you are new to the hobby/obsession you would be well-served to hold off on that major purchase for a bit.

There is much that you can do without that telescope that will be fun and educational, as you learn more about astronomical observing and your own particular interests. A great place to start is The Novice Astronomer Observing Challenges Handbook (PDF) available as a free download from the Irish Federation of Astronomical Society (IFAS).

It is described as "A Self-contained Handbook and Logbook for the Novice Astronomer" and contains excellent exercises (called "Your mission:") from the relatively simple (Record the Moon's Phases) to the intermediate (Tracking the Planets) to the more complex (Record an Occultation, and Record a Comet).

Along the way you will learn to chart your way around the stars and learn about atmospheric phenomenon. This is a great place to start, for budding astronomers of any age!

Make Your Own Planisphere

A planisphere is a simple device that shows you where the constellations are, in your night sky, for any time/date combination. (Due to the way the earth orbits the sun, a different portion of the night sky is visible during different times of the year).

You can purchase planisphere's but it is also fun and easy to make your own. First, you will need to select the correct hemisphere (northern or southern). Then, to be the most accurate, you will also need to know what latitude you are nearest. The middle of the U.S. (for example) is latitude 40° - the Kansas-Nebraska border.

Here are a couple of links to sites with printable planispheres and instructions for assembling them. You may find it handy to use them along with the Star Maps for Beginners book I recommended earlier:

• Planisphere 1 (40°, 45°, or 50° N)


• Planisphere 2 (wide range of latitudes, N or S)


• Planisphere 3 (40° to 50° N)

Planispheres are not only used by beginners, however. Even major observatories have them on hand, to assist in knowing what portion of the sky is visible at any given time and date.

If you are a Windows PC user, there is also a nifty program for creating and printing planispheres that works for a large range of latitudes (25-80 N or S !!!) It is also available with language translations for: French, Dutch, Italian, and Africkaans. (How cool is that?) Get it here: http://nio.astronomy.cz/om/.

Learning the Constellations

The first step in learning to find your way around the night sky is to learn some "sign posts". The ancients divided the sky up into numerous constellations, but you can get started by learning just a couple of them. This interactive web site will get you on your way: http://www.quietbay.net/Science/astronomy/nightsky/. In just a few minutes you will learn to identify the constellations of Orion, the Big Dipper (which technically is only a portion of the constellation Ursa Major), and Cassiopeia. You will also learn to identify two major stars: Polaris (the North Star) and Betelgeuse (pronounced "beetle-juice"). You'll also learn to recognize a planet in the night sky. It is a very good exercise to get you started.

Now that your appetite is whetted, here's a more comprehensive site on Learning the Constellations.

Learning on the computer is a great way to get started, but it is no substitute for getting out under the night sky and finding the constellations for yourself, so make sure to take some time to look at the night sky itself!

Put Your Checkbook Back in Your Pocket

Let's face it: We are all well-trained to be consumers. When we get interested in something, our first inclination is to BUY something (like a shiny telescope, maybe?). But most amateur astronomers will tell you that it is a lot wiser to wait a while to buy equipment. There are some very good reasons for that:

1) Your interests may go in an altogether different direction. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe you at an age where you are discovering all kinds of cool things for the first time and still discovering what REALLY gets you going. No sense making a big investment in something that might be gathering dust in a closet before long!

2) You may find that you enjoy astronomy with binoculars even better than astronomy with a telescope. You can see a lot of interesting objects using binoculars. Their wide field views make finding objects much easier than the relatively-more-difficult (narrower field) telescope.

3) Even if you decide on a telescope, there are different kinds (designs), sizes, and price ranges. You might buy a cheap scope that turns out to be a frustrating experience to use. (You don't have to spend "an arm and a leg" but let's make sure that it is money well-spent!

This is true even of BOOKS. I highly recommend that you buy books, don't get me wrong. But I also highly recommend that you check them out from a library before deciding which to purchase. If your library does not have a book you want, ask them about Inter-library Loans. Most libraries will happily get the book you want from another library - and chances are good that SOMEBODY has it.

If you live in a town that has a college or university, don't forget to check out what the campus library may have on the subject of astronomy. I was amazed at what our small state library had available!

Peterson's Field Guide to the Stars and Planets

If there is a perfect second book that you should have, I'd nominate this one: Peterson's Field Guide to the Stars and Planets It is more than just a collection of sky maps (although it contains those) it is a nice little "short course" in astronomy. It is a small, thick book, with color illustrations and photos. You won't regret having it in your library, and it makes a great book to keep in the glove box of your car.

One of my fondest memories is of my younger brother and I laying out in my parent's front yard, using this book (and a cheap-o pair of 7x35 binoculars) to "star hop" to M101 (which we successfully did)! We felt quite a sense of accomplishment, and it was cool to know that the fuzzy patch of light we located there was a galaxy, like our own. . . an island of stars in the vast ocean of empty space.



That is one of the really cool things about amateur astronomy. You can enjoy it by yourself, or with others.

Sky Maps for Beginners

Humans beings are map makers. There is a good reason for that: Why waste time wandering around aimlessly when we can find our way to our objective with a proper map? The night sky is no different. Men long ago began finding patterns (technically called "asterisms") in the sky and giving them names. Today we know them as constellations.

Learning the Constellations (or at least beginning to learn them) is the first step towards appreciating the night sky. I highly recommend the following book: Sky Maps for Beginners. My experience is similar to that of those offering reader reviews at Amazon. My copy is falling apart from use (the sign of a good book).

The "revolutionary" thing about this book is that it does not present the sky maps in CIRCLE form (which, for beginners is a bit confusing). Instead, it takes the dome of stars above and splits is and lays it flat on the page so that you see the sky divided into the four cardinal directions (NSEW). Different maps are provided to cover the sky for any time of the year and any time of the night.



You will find this book so invaluable, that you will be wanting to give copies to friends (and even children) who are interested in learning more about the night sky. It is a wonderful, unintimidating little book and is now available in a 50th Anniversary Edition. I recommend getting the most recent edition of this book, as it will contain current information on the location of the planets in the night sky.

Welcome to Uranoscopic !

You may have never before heard the word "uranoscopic" before. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it is now a "rare" term and has the following definitions:
a. Pertaining to the study of the heavens.
b. Directed towards the heavens.
For that reason, I thought it would be the perfect name for this blog.

Why might you find this blog useful? Good question, since I am not an experienced amateur astronomer and have no special knowledge or skills to pass along. Perhaps it would be better to think of what we might share. The first thing that you and I share is the night sky above us. In our modern world, many have seemingly lost the ability to even look up and appreciate the wonders above us. City lights and terrestrial concerns seem to drown out the interest of many in the night sky. But it is there, just waiting for those appreciative souls to "rediscover" its wonders.

The night sky knows no artificial borders (except those drawn upon it by men). It does not matter what national borders you live within or what race, religion, or creed with which you may associate yourself. You need nothing more than your eyes to begin your appreciation. You need be no minimum age before beginning your appreciation of the night sky.

So join with me as I point out resources that may help you in your appreciation of the night sky and share with you my experiences as a new telescope owner. Feel free to comment and share your experiences, as well. The universe awaits us!