1.
Bake star cookies, name them according to the stars you know, and
invite friends and loved ones over to take a bite out of the stars!
2.
Turn off all the lights, both indoors and out, and go outside for a
walk or hide-and-go-seek. Pay attention to how it makes you feel
to be in the dark. Is it scary? Is it fun? Does your
imagination play tricks on you and make you see things that aren't
there? Be bold, be a star!
3. Be sure all your
lights are off, then stay outside as the sun sets and the stars come
out. Because the Moon was just New, it will not be around to
light up the night. Make a note of which stars you can see
first. Here are some clues: The brightest object in our skies
after Sun and Moon is not a star, but a planet, Venus, sometimes known
as our evening star. After Venus, it's Jupiter, but you won't see
Jupiter until later in the evening, near the bright red star Antares in
Scoprio, over in the ENE. The twinkling, blinking pretty
star in the East after sunset is Arcturus, part of the constellation
Bootes, the herdman (he herds the great bears around the pole
star). When the Big Dipper comes out, follow the arc of its
handle to Arcturus! Leo the Lion looks like a big backward
question mark right overhead these nights, and the golden glowing
'star' nearby is actually the planet Saturn...
4. Find out
where the Moon was when you were born, what stars it was in front of,
what phase it was in, and how long it takes for the Moon to recur in
that same position and phase ~ then make a note of this, because that's
your Birthmoonday, just like each year you celebrate the return of the
Sun to its place at your birth on your birthday!
5. Check
all the outdoor lighting at your home and be sure that, if it's
necessary lighting, it is lighting the ground, not the sky.
6.
Find out if there's an astronomy club in your area and find out if they
send out a newsletter or have public night sky viewing events.
7.
Write a letter to the editor of your local paper to help raise
awareness that we can make a difference in the beauty of the night by
turning out unecessary outdoor lighting, and tell the editor you'd like
to get your community recognized as an International Dark Sky community.
8.
Tell your favorite story of the stars to friends, teachers and loved
ones throughout the week, and remember how it was you learned the story.
9.
Visit the website for National Dark Sky Week for more information
www.nsdw.org; find a daily sky calendar at
www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/diary; and for other ways you can help reduce
light pollution in your area, go to the International Dark Sky
Association website www.darksky,org
10. Watch for the
Lyrid Meteor showers throughout the week, which come to their peak
overnight Sunday, April 22, rising up from the north between the
constellations Hercules and Lyra, and remember that wishes made upon a
star really do come true.
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