An addendum to our Stories Behind the Stars programs with Matt Krug
Matt’s first recommendation for becoming familiar with the night sky is to go outside every clear night and note the position and phase of the moon. What patterns can you see over time? Look at the terminator line, the line between the bright and dark moon, through binoculars to see the topography of the moon.
As a starting place for navigating constellations, locate the Big Dipper, visible above the horizon all year long in the northern hemisphere. From there, find Polaris, the North Star, in the Little Dipper, and then onward to Cassiopeia and beyond!
Stellarium, a great app for learning about the night sky, and about constellations as viewed by many different cultures:
While many moon phase add-on calendars exist, Canton Becker’s has a wonderfully personal touch:
The Rose of Venus: Venus’s eight-year cycle around earth:
Read more about the five petals, pentagram, or rose of Venus and its eight-year cycle HERE and HERE.
Read more about the Mayan calendar and its relationship to the movement of Venus HERE.
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl
More with images HERE and at the link for each festival.
Qixi Festival, China.
Tanabata, or Star Festival, Japan.
Chilseok, Double Seventh Festival, Korea.
Banner image: Photo by Mark Tegethoff on Unsplash