There are many constellations in the sky, but there are a few that are particularly interesting to look at. Here are four tips on how to find them:
- Look for bright stars near the horizon. These stars often form clusters, and as you move further away from the sun, the clusters will become smaller and more dispersed.
- Look for faint objects near the moon or planets. These objects can be difficult to see with the naked eye, but they can be found by using a telescope or binoculars.
- Use a constellation map to help you find your way around in the sky. This map shows where all of the constellations are located and how they look from different angles.
- If you want to learn more about these constellations, visit a star-gazing center or watch a movie about them online
When smartphones were first entering the mainstream, apps like Google Sky Map showed off their potential. Those apps weren’t just a gimmick to show off the accelerometer, though. There are still great apps that let you find constellations by simply pointing your phone at the sky.
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Stellarium
Our favorite app for sky gazing is Stellarium, which is also has a great web interface for desktop. The Stellarium app is available for Android, iPhone, and iPad. It’s free and open source with an optional one-time “Plus” upgrade for $19.99.
The basic idea of the app is it uses your location to know which constellations will be visible. You can use your finger to pan around or take advantage of your device’s sensors and see the constellations on the screen for exactly where you’re looking.
Stellarium also shows where planets, comets, satellites, and other deep space objects are in real time. You can even zoom in and out to get a different perspective on our planet. It’s a great app to have in your back pocket.
SkyView
Another great app for Android, iPhone, and iPad is SkyView. It’s available for a one-time purchase price of $1.99, or you can use the “Lite” version for free. SkyView doesn’t receive as many updates as Stellarium, but it still works well.
SkyView is the same general idea as Stellatium. The main difference is there’s no way to pan around with your finger, it only moves as you move your phone. One neat thing is its “Augmented Reality” camera, which puts the constellations, planets, and other things on top of your camera’s viewfinder.
The SkyView experience is a little rougher around the edges, but it’s still a great option. The “Lite” version has enough features for most people. If you find yourself using the app a lot, the $2 upgrade is easy to digest.
It’s pretty cool what all the sensors in your phone can enable. Finding constellations and planets in the sky used to require looking up coordinates and knowing where things are at different times of the year. Now you can just point your phone at the sky and be amazed by space.
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