← Back to course
Astronomy Year / Week 07 / Sky Night
6/6
Week 07 · Seasons in the Sky

Sky Night

Sky Night: this season's sky
// New stars and new sunsets
⏱ about 15 min

Sky Night: This season's sky

Rocket, Raven and Nova step out just after sunset.

"Which season is it?" Raven asks. "What do you notice in the sky?"

Rocket checks the table. "Then we look for its stars!"

Nova glows red. "Hint: start where the Sun went down, then look up."

  1. Earth travels around the Sun once a year.
  2. We see different stars in different seasons.
  3. Summer has long days. Winter has short days.
  4. Leo is a spring star group.
Safety first
Go outside only with a grown-up.
Stay near home in a safe, open spot.
Use a red light, not a white one.
Watch your step in the dark.
Never look at the setting Sun.

Your Sky Night mission

  1. Write today's sunset time in your sunset log.
  2. Go out after dark with your grown-up.
  3. Find the season row in Tuesday's table.
  4. Look for that star pattern.
  5. Check the north too: is Cassiopeia or the Big Dipper high?
Sky logWhat I saw
Season
Sunset time
Season star pattern I found
High in the north
SKY NIGHT CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
It is fall. Which star group is high in the north?
Cloudy night?
Make a season wheel instead.
Draw a big circle and split it into four parts.
Label winter, spring, summer and fall.
Draw each season's star pattern in its part.
◇ SEASON TALK WITH YOUR GROWN-UP
Talk about the season you like best.
Find its star pattern on your wheel.
Plan to look for it when that season comes.

You read the sky like a calendar! Next week we meet Orion.

← Friday