Constellation Hunter Program Resources
Many clubs have gained new members recently, and a great way for new members to enjoy astronomy is to learn the night sky. And for any long-time member who has not yet learned the sky, doing so will expand their observing skills.
The purpose of this program is to provide an orientation to the sky for novice astronomers.
No special observing equipment is needed. All you need is a sky chart (paper or electronic) and a reference for the brighter star names.
The objective is to:
1 -provide a forum for the novice observer to become more familiar with the constellations and brighter stars
2 - begin to learn to navigate among the stars
3 - provide a solid foundation for moving on to other observation programs
Upon completion, you will receive a certificate, a lapel pin and your name will be listed in the Astronomical League quarterly magazine, The Reflector
So – what do you need to do?
Observe and sketch all the constellations in the Northern sky
Obviously, seeing the example on the right you don’t need to be an artist!
This can take up to a year for all the constellations to come into view (unless you like staying up really late or getting up well before the Sun)
Below are several resources that will aid you in pursuit of this Astronomical League Program
Astronomical League webpage for the program
Download a sky map every month from Sky Maps.com
Download a sky map every month from What's Out Tonight.com
Here is a log sheet for two constellations per page. Click on the PDF or Excel symbol to download the file
Link to an Astronomy Magazine webpage on learning the constellations
