Welcome to Sara and the Stars, a blog committed to the subject of stargazing. I, myself, am an amateur stargazer. I can usually point out the Big Dipper, and sometimes I’ll find Cassiopeia or Orion’s Belt. (I’ve never figured out the rest of the Orion constellation.) Maybe I’ll manage to spot Polaris and the Little Dipper, but that’s about it as far as stars and constellations go. Often I’ve looked up at the night sky and wished I could play connect-the-dots with the stars, but couldn’t. I’m sure others have felt the same way.
I plan to use this blog as a means to learn and inform others about the stars, constellations, moon, and planets until I (or any beginning stargazer) can confidently point to the night sky and say, “Look! That there is Orion. That’s his belt and his sword. He’s holding a shield in his right hand and a raised club in his left, see? And that red star at his shoulder is called Betelgeuse.” Oh, I can’t wait! I’ve always loved stargazing, but once I know what it is I’m looking at I’ll enjoy it even more.
My blog posts will tell of the different stars, constellations, planets, etc. to watch for in the upcoming nights. I’ll also include interesting information about those celestial phenomena, mythology of the constellations, stargazing tips and other astronomy topics relevant to stargazing. I’ll even blog about my own stargazing experiences.
My sources for this blog will include the textbook Pathways to Astronomy, astronomy websites and interviews with Senior Lecturer of Astronomy Dr. Ana Larson at the University of Washington and Matt Davis, an astronomy graduate student at the UW. I’ll try to provide links to photos and illustrations of featured stars and constellations as often as I can, to aid in the star-hunting process.
Please post comments and any questions about stargazing to this blog. And, of course, happy stargazing!
Sara and the Stars 