My mistake. When I say "constellation", I don't mean just the traditional stick-figures we learned as kids. I refer to the constellation as a bounded area of sky. Now, that said, knowing the "sticks" is a step in the right direction. But learning the dimmer real estate in-between is ultimately what will make sky navigation easier. Don't worry if you can't absorb it all at once, it may take ten years or more to become that proficient. Think of the sky as a map. Most people have no trouble locating positions on a terrestrial map, even without labels or grid lines of longitude and lattitude, simply because they know the geography. Learning the sky is an identical process as far as your brain is concerned, and breaking it down into smaller sections, the consellations, is the equivalent of "one bite at a time". To me, it's easier because the sky is, basically, digital points rather than the infinitely gradated texture of geography. But Joe makes a valid point when under a dark sky. Find a region you are sure of, such as the north celestial pole area, then move out from there. There are few other bright stars competing with the "stick figures" in the circumpolar region. On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 10:11 AM, Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@yahoo.com> wrote:
Even constellations I know can be hard to make out from a dark site, with many more bright stars clamoring for attention. -- Joe --- On Mon, 12/8/08, Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] How dim of objects can I see? To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, December 8, 2008, 10:07 PM
I meant to add that I had found a lot of objects from the city before I found them from a dark sky. Sometimes too many stars actually makes locating the objects more difficult for beginners. Knowing your constellations is a big help. _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
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