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Tips For Making Cloud Observations (adapted from GLOBE.gov)
- Be able to view the sky free from obstruction like trees, buildings, etc. If you live in the busy city you may have to try a little harder (BE CAREFUL).
- DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY IN THE SUN! This will cause blurred vision and other physical problems.
- Use a cloud chart. You will want to know if you are viewing the feathers of cirrus clouds or detecting a storm with the dense covering of cumulonimbus clouds
- Do some journaling. Cloud and sky observing can be a very meaningful and relaxing activity. It’s great for families or groups like seniors and students.
- Download the GLOBE Observer app, it’s a great tool. You can use it for daily record keeping and you can also provide valuable data for NASA science researchers.
Tips For Star or Planet Gazing
- You may use a telescope or binoculars, BUT the naked eye works just as well!
- Be able to view the sky free from any obstruction, like bright lights, trees, buildings, etc. If you live in the busy city you may have to try a little harder (BE CAREFUL).
- A cold crisp night is good. Humidity or the summers make for a hazy night, but the summer season is the best time to see the Milky Way! The most visible planets you’ll see are Mars, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter
- Looking at a full moon is magnificent, but it’s brilliant illumination may over do it for star and planet gazing. Experts say a crescent or waxing gibbous moon are best because you can either see the craters or stars and planets much clearer. Get a chart, it’s great to learn the 8 phases of the moon.
- Find an app you like. Some good ones are Google Sky Map, Starwalk, Stellarium. (We don’t advocate for either and some in app purchases may apply).
- A Cool Fact - The moon is neither a star or planet but a satellite. A satellite is a moon, star, or mechanical object that orbits a planet or star. The moon is the Earth’s. The Earth is the sun’s.
Saturn and Jupiter's Great Conjunction also called The Christmas Star