Problem: Article: Any light pollution can make it difficult to find the Andromeda Galaxy. It is best to go away from any urban areas, street lights, or lit parks. Take a hike onto a mountain, go out into an isolated field, or find another area without any light pollution. The Andromeda Galaxy is not as bright as other stars around it. When you go out to stargaze, give yourself fifteen minutes to adjust to the darkness. You may realize that you can see more stars than you could at first. The position of galaxies, stars, and constellations can change with the seasons. Look for a star chart designed for the current month. You can often find star charts for free online. They are also sometimes sold at planetariums or by astronomical societies. The star chart may also tell you what the best of time night to see the Andromeda Galaxy is based on the season. For example, in September and October, the Andromeda Galaxy will rise in the eastern sky of the northern hemisphere. By midnight, it should be directly above your head. If you live in the southern hemisphere, you might look towards the northern horizon in December to see it. It may not rise high in the sky. There are many apps that can help you find the Andromeda Galaxy and other stars. These will adjust the star charts based on your position, hemisphere, season, and time of night. These include the Star Chart app, NightSky app, and GoSkyWatch. If you can find the Big Dipper, look for the bright star next to it. This is called Polaris or the North Star. Across Polaris from the Big Dipper will be Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia contains five stars in a "W" shape. The right side of this "W" will point down directly at the Andromeda Galaxy. Pegasus looks like a giant rectangle. You should see two lines of stars extending from the upper left-hand corner of this star. This is the Andromeda constellation. Keep in mind that the Andromeda constellation is separate from the Andromeda Galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy lies between the Pegasus constellation and the point of Cassiopeia. It should look like a blur or a hazy oval in the sky. Start at the star on the upper left-hand corner of Pegasus. The constellation Andromeda begins here. Follow Andromeda down two stars. You should see two stars stacked on top of one another called Mirach and Mu Andromedae. If you draw a line through the two stars and extend it past Mu Andromedae, you should run into the Andromeda Galaxy. Mu Andromedae is dimmer than Mirach. It is also the star closest to the Andromeda Galaxy. If you are using a telescope, you may find two faint fuzzy spots beside the galaxy. One of them, M32, is smaller in size and closer to the actual galaxy core. The other, NGC 205, is larger in size, and farther from the actual galaxy. Both are companion galaxies to Andromeda.
Summary: Go away from the lights of the city. Adapt your eyes to the dark. Use a star chart to determine where the galaxy will appear in the sky. Download a stargazing app. Locate the Cassiopeia constellation. Find the Pegasus and Andromeda constellations. Look between Pegasus and Cassiopeia for a smudge. Draw a line through the Mirach and Mu Andromedae stars. Look for the companion galaxies.

Problem: Article: You can draw a line with sidewalk chalk on your driveway, mark your spot with a pen, or use any household object to indicate your place. Count your steps from 1 to 10 as you walk forward. For best results, try not to overthink your foot placement and walk normally. If you used sidewalk chalk to mark your starting point, draw another line at the edge of your shoe. If you used an object (such as a pen) to mark your starting point, drop another object at the tip of your right foot. This mark indicates your stopping place. Start your measurements where you took your first step, and use a ruler, yardstick, or measuring tape to find the distance to your last step. Use the smaller units of measurement on your measuring device, such as inches or centimeters (instead of feet or meters). Round your measurements to the closest inch or centimeter. For example, the distance may be 180.3 inches (458cm), which rounds down to 180 inches (460cm). Have a friend help hold your tape measure if you need a hand. Once you have the total number of inches or centimeters, you are 1 calculation away from determining your stride length. Divide your distance, and the number you get is your stride length! For instance, if your distance is 180in (460cm), you will get 18in (46cm) after you divide by 10. Your stride length is 18in (46cm) or 1.5ft (0.46m). If you want to ensure your measurements are as accurate as possible, repeat the process a few more times, and average the numbers together. To calculate your average, add up the total of all your stride lengths, and divide them by the total number of times measured.
Summary:
Pick a starting place and mark it with an item. Take 10 natural steps forward starting with your right foot. Make a mark in front of your right foot after 10 steps. Measure the distance between your starting and stopping point. Divide your distance in inches or centimeters by 10. Repeat this 2-3 times to find an accurate average.