Category Archives: Astronomy 101
Modeling the Earth-Moon-Sun Relationship
One of the trickiest, yet most important, Astronomy concepts for children to understand is the Earth-Moon-Sun relationship. The idea of rotation and revolution, while extremely basic, is the foundation of understanding motion in our solar system. These three objects have … Continue reading
How To – Safely! – Observe The Solar Eclipse With Kids!
The chance to see an eclipse event in the sky is a wonderful opportunity to get children excited about astronomy. On Thursday, October 23rd, millions of us in the United States will have the chance to see a spectacular partial … Continue reading
The myth of Cassiopeia and Andromeda
The sky is full of constellations based on myths and legends from ancient cultures throughout the world. This is one reason that stargazing is important for children, and also something that makes it fun for them. The fall sky is … Continue reading
Harvest Moon
The closest full moon to the autumnal equinox is called the harvest moon. The harvest moon is not necessarily bigger or brighter than a regular full moon. However, the moon’s orbital path is unique at this time of the year, … Continue reading
Why do we have “seasonal” constellations?
If you’ve been visiting Lie Back, Look Up for awhile (or any other stargazing sites), you’ve probably been reading about the different constellations that you can view each season. You might also be wondering why we see different constellations each … Continue reading
September Night Sky
Check out our What’s Up in the Sky this Month page for an idea of planets and constellations to view in September. Don’t forget to print off the free Summer Sky Map as well! If you’re looking for a good video … Continue reading
Where is the Big Dipper?
When most people are asked to identify one “constellation” in the night sky, their first answer is often the Big Dipper. But, in fact, the Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major (the Big Bear), and is not … Continue reading
Stargazing in August
Check out our What’s Up in the Sky this Month page for an idea of planets and constellations to view in August. Don’t forget to print off the free Summer Sky Map as well! (I tried a new layout for the … Continue reading
What is a shooting star?
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to see a “shooting star” in the sky, then you understand why they are the topic of so many songs and children’s rhymes. Catching one with your eye feels like a special occurrence, maybe … Continue reading
Lie Back, Look Up: Why it’s important
Stargazing is a great way to “get outside” as a family. A back-to-nature movement to reconnect children with the outdoors is burgeoning nationwide. —USA Today, November 2006 Many would agree that families are spending less and less time outside together. … Continue reading