Subscribe to our newsletter.
Summer's here, and clear warm nights are a great time to start exploring the sky.
We'll begin a series on backyard stargazing this week by looking at naked eye observing - just you, maybe a star chart or planisphere, and the stars and planets above. Imaging you're outside on a balmy summer evening. The crickets are chirping, the air feels soft and warm, and the stars hover overhead, seeming to be just out of reach. The clear night sky seems to go on forever - the glow of a crescent moon is barely enough light to see the ground around you, and doesn't block out the stars. And of course you're way out in the country, far away from any street lights, buildings, or cars.