Six Sights For Kids in the Summer Sky

The laid-back days of summer vacation are an ideal time to introduce kids to astronomy. While the big questions about the universe are important… how did it start, how old is it, and how will it all end… it’s all so abstract. Not until a child looks up and sees a sky full of stars will she get an instinctive appreciation for nature on its grandest scale.

If you get a chance, show a kid around the night sky this summer. They’ll never forget it. Here are six sights to try:

• The summer Milky Way. You need dark clear sky, a blanket to lie on, and that’s about it. The knotted star clouds and dark nebulae never fail to astonish. City kids can’t believe there are so many stars.

• The Moon. Use a telescope at moderate power, at or before first quarter. Look along on the terminator– the dividing line between night and day. Smooth dark lunar seas and the long shadows cast by crater walls and towering mountains reveal a whole new world.

• A meteor shower. Everyone should see the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks near August 12. The anticipation of meteors suddenly streaking across the sky is better entertainment than any TV show.

• Jupiter. Shining bright and steady in the southern skies right now, Jupiter is like a mini-solar system all by itself. Even a pair of binoculars reveals its four largest moons all lined up in a row, revolving about the planet from hour to hour. And a small telescope reveals bands of cloud and maybe even the Great Red Spot.

• Open star clusters. Home to blazing young stars born out of the same cloud of dust and gas, an open star cluster gives a first hand introduction a star’s life. These are better for older kids who have the patience to learn to look through an telescope. If you have a star map and a small telescope, see if you can find M11 in Scutum.

• A galaxy. Take your pick: M81 near the Big Dipper, M31 in Andromeda, etc. You can see many galaxies in binoculars or a small telescope. Ignite a child’s imagination by showing them nearly a trillion stars at one time.