Astronomy 101: It's in the Stars

What does a grandparent do in an era when childhood is defined by indoor activities and cultural attention-deficit disorder? More than anyone else in the family, you know how much excitement, focus, and wonder the simple, timeless pleasures of life can invoke, even in the most video-driven, couch-potato child.

Stargazing is the perfect activity to show your grandchildren there's more to life than TiVo. It will get them outside, away from computer, and stimulates conversation that will be interesting to all of you. The galaxy, stars, constellations, and planets have rich mythologies you can educate yourself about, so every outing becomes an opportunity to tell stories and be creative together, not to mention broach edgier subjects, like the meaning of life and the inevitability of death. And the best part is, it costs nothing. If it becomes a serious passion, you can feel noble investing in your grandchild's intellect when a birthday rolls around. Binoculars cost far less than an iPod, and telescopes stay relevant while pop-culture objects of desire go in and out of fashion.

DO A LITTLE RESEARCH

The first step is to figure out what you're looking for in the sky on any given night. Your local daily newspaper probably contains a small almanac section, usually on the back page of the front section, that includes a chart of when the sun sets, how full the moon will be, and which stars and planets will visible where. If the moon is smaller than a half moon, it's a good night to stargaze. The absolute best time is during the new moon (when the moon is almost completely obscured). However, if you live in a rural area, the stars will be so clear and overwhelming that it might be harder to find the constellations, but with some serious scanning, you'll find them.

You can also call your local planetarium. Most have an automated report, updated weekly, of the basic sights you can see with the naked eye and any upcoming special events, like a lunar eclipse or meteor shower.

To look up details about the sky further in advance, Tony Cook, an astronomical observer at the famed Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, recommends a website: Heavens-Above.com.

FIND THE DARKNESS AND GO UP HIGH

When you go out the first time, make sure it's not cloudy. Karen Funkenstein, an astronomy hobbyist and retired

“Looking at the sky is about tapping into curiosity, and any discussion is a good discussion.”

middle-school science teacher from Massachusetts, warns that in cities or small towns near cities, the light pollution from the buildings will make it difficult to see the horizon. Go wherever you can see the most sky with the least light. Playgrounds or football fields are ideal locations. If you're ready to invest in a pair of binoculars to enhance your view of the sky, Cook recommends a pair no larger than 7 x 50 or 10 x 50 (7 or 10 times magnified 50 mm wide) so they're easy to hold for smaller hands.

BRING A LITTLE BOOK AND A FLASHLIGHT

Both experts recommend two cartoon-enhanced books by H.A. Rey (also known as author of the Curious George books): Stars: A New Way to See Them and Find the Constellations (both Houghton Mifflin, 1976) are visual and informative guides accessible to stargazers of all ages.

If you want to educate yourself further, Cook recommends Terence Dickinson's NightWatch (Firefly Books, 1983), which is geared toward adult beginners. It also contains a helpful chart of what you can expect to see in the sky on any night of the year.

BE EXCITED

Sure, after decades of staring at the Big Dipper with your own parents, on bad dates, and in bad romantic comedies about good dates, it's hard to be riveted by the vastness of the universe. But try as hard as you can. Not to put too much pressure on you, but it will influence how your grandchildren see the sky and the world. “Children's interest will reflect how enthusiastic their parents, or in this case, grandparents, are," says Cook, a father of four. "If the adults walk by and don't look at things, the kids don't either.”

GET METAPHYSICAL

When Cook showed his daughter the remains of a star that exploded, known as a supernova remnant, it was the first time she'd heard the concept that a star could die. She then asked questions about the sun dying, and extrapolated that to ask, “Why would God let the sun die?” Cook turned this into an opportunity to discuss the idea of the universal life cycle, and that change, including concepts like aging and death, is natural and inevitable.

Don't shy away from these conversations. Your grandchild has likely already dealt with the concept of death on a different level (the death of a pet or watching the moment in The Lion King when the dad dies) and may be full of questions. He would benefit from your skilled philosophical perspective. Engage him.

In these conversations, Funkenstein advocates letting kids formulate their own stories, especially when it comes to death. "Whatever makes them comfortable is fine with me because it will change over time," she says. "If they want to think their dad is up in heaven, fine. If they want to believe he's looking down on them, fine. Emotions aren't rational, and death is very emotional. I always encourage kids to think for themselves, and I want to give them the power to make their own stories.”

STEAL THESE EXPERT EXPLANTIONS

Stars:
Cook: “Stars are suns like our own, just farther away, some of them much brighter than our sun. So bright that the light takes years to get here.”

Funkenstein: “The stars are a bunch of giant spheres that are burning! That's why we see the light! They're on fire, just like our sun is. Our sun burns hydrogen. They're burning their own gases... and they're in all different universes.”

Constellations:
Funkenstein: There are a certain number of stars, called circumpolars, that will not burn out (at least not in our lifetimes). The most famous circumpolar constellation for us in the Northern Hemisphere is probably the Big Dipper. It's bright enough that whenever you look up at the sky, it should be there. It looks like a little two-dimensional saucepan. If you imagine that water is pouring out the end of the saucepan and you follow it across the Little Dipper's handle, you will come to the North Star. Once you find that, you know what direction is north and you can find your way if you get lost.

The Milky Way:
Cook: “The Milky Way is the universe we live in. Outside, in the sky, you'll see what looks like glowing clouds in a narrow band across the sky — it's bright and easy to see. That's the Milky Way. Masked light that's so far away it glows... the stars are still light-years apart from each other, too. In a really nice dark sky, the Milky Way looks like it has holes in it. These are dark clouds of matter that haven't yet formed into stars.”

Funkenstein: The Milky Way is a concentrated band of a billion stars... and on either side of it there are fewer stars; in any sky there's a billion stars. It appears to change position because the Earth is always turning.

Star Clusters:
Cook: “In a sky that shows the stars well, even a casual sweep across the Milky Way will show you knots of stars, called star clusters. With the help of a star chart, you can find a bigger galaxy, like the Andromeda galaxy, which looks like a sort of ghostly Frisbee."

Satellites:
Cook: "For an hour after sunset or before sunrise you'll see tiny specks moving steadily against the stars. They look like planes but don't have any flashing features on them — they're the thousands of satellites overhead. There are quite a few you can see without binoculars. The brightest, largest satellite is the International Space Station. In the realm of satellites, there are also iridium flares, which is a communication satellite. Its sides are like mirrors, so when it passes over it can look like a big burst of light in the sky. You can predict when those are passing over with the help of your local planetarium hotline. When you watch for it, it's like waiting for fireworks. You need to plan it to the minute and know your exact coordinates (which you can find in an atlas)."

AND IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER THE EXPLANATIONS, IT'S OKAY NOT TO KNOW

Cook suggests letting the grandchild do most of the talking. Unless you're an astronomer yourself, your knowledge won't be too extensive, and that's okay. Looking at the sky is about tapping into curiosity, and any discussion is a good discussion. See what guesses you two can come up with and let the conversation flow from there. You'll probably get to a much more interesting place. Remember, you can always look up the scientific answers later.

Editor's Note: Karen Funkenstein is a long-time family friend of this story's author.